Trumpeting Trump's tariff

Exporters agitate

- By Chandrasena Maliyadde

PRESIDENT Trump has informed the Sri Lankan President by his letter of 9 July, "Starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Sri Lanka a Tariff of only 30% on any and all Sri Lankan products sent into the United States, separate from all Sectoral Tariffs".

Sri Lankan exporters were agitated, stunned, and appalled.

Joint Apparel Association Forum.

(JAAF): "As one of the country's largest export earners, the sector relies heavily on access to the US market, and such a steep increase threatens to erode competitiveness, particularly when compared to regional peer." The Exporters Association of Sri Lanka (EASL): "... the proposed tariff would have a significant impact on key export sectors, particularly apparel and rubberbased products." The Colombo Rubber Traders' Association (CRTA) and The Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP) warned of severe consequences and a significant threat on Sri Lanka's rubber industry, potentially costing the nation $ 1 billion in rubber export revenue and impacting over 150,000 rural families.

Sri Lankan coconut exporters are deeply concerned and fearing it will severely impact their competitiveness and potentially cripple the industry that generates over $ 857 million annually and supports hundreds of thousands of livelihoods.

The Seafood Exporters' Association of Sri Lanka (SEASL) emphasised that Sri Lankan seafood exporters remain at a severe disadvantage compared to regional competitors.

The Planters' Association of Ceylon warns that the move to impose a 30% tariff could devastate two of Sri Lanka's most historic and employment-intensive sectors, tea and rubber undermining decades of market-building and trade diplomacy.

Economists alarm