LNP - AKD’s silent, pragmatic leadership enabled SL to reduce U.S. tariffs to 20 per cent – Malik Samarawickrama

Former International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama yesterday hailed the government for getting the U.S. reciprocal tariffs reduced to 20 per cent, enabling Sri Lankan goods to be competitive. Making his remarks to Daily Mirror, the former Minister said it was an achievement for Sri Lanka since it was secured without anything substantial to offer for the U.S. in terms of reciprocal trading. He said the other countries in the region and elsewhere offered to purchase a lot of goods, including aircraft, to narrow their respective trade gaps, but Sri Lanka gained it otherwise. He said it was the result of the silent, pragmatic leadership of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.