Business

Sri Lanka’s domestic clothing brands are calling for a drastic 300 to 400 percent increase in the Commodity Export Subsidy Scheme (CESS) levy on the imported apparel, arguing it is a critical step to ensure the survival and competitiveness of the local industry in its own market.

U.S. President Donald Trump has reposted his official letter to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, after correcting a name error in the initial version that mistakenly referred to the President as “Aruna.”

Sri Lanka plans to introduce a property tax by the first half of 2027, according to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

City of Dreams Sri Lanka, South Asia’s first integrated resort, announced that its grand opening on 2 August 2025 will be strictly by invitation only.

President Donald Trump said Washington will start sending letters to countries on Friday specifying what tariff rates they will face on imports to the United States, a clear shift from earlier pledges to strike scores of individual deals.

Sri Lanka’s GDP could decline by up to 1.5 percent if the United States reinstates a 44 percent tariff on Sri Lankan exports and lowers tariffs on competitor trading partners, according to an IMF country report.

AliExpress has officially suspended several of its budget shipping options to Sri Lanka and Pakistan following the implementation of revised customs tax regulations by the respective authorities.

Sri Lanka Customs has firmly rejected claims circulating on social media regarding the introduction of a new tax on small parcel imports clarifying that recent procedural changes are intended solely to ensure the accurate application of existing customs duties based on product value and classification.

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on 2 August.

A total of 138,241 tourists arrived in the country in June 2025, data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) shows.