Sri Lanka's Apex Organisation for Export Promotion
Mr. Marcus Pettersson, Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Gothenburg, Sweden, visited the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) to discuss strategies aimed at strengthening bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Sweden on 17th January 2025.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), successfully organized an outward trade delegation to Saudi Arabia from 13th to 16th January 2025. This initiative aimed to promote Sri Lankan Food & Beverage (F&B) products in the KSA market and strengthen bilateral trade relations between Sri Lanka and KSA.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Union (EU), has commenced the Sri Lanka Export Excellence Initiative (SLEEI) 2025. Supported under EU's regional initiative 'Accelerating Climate Smart and Inclusive Infrastructure in South Asia (ACSIIS)’ as part of the EU Global Gateway Strategy, the SLEII is a strategic initiative to enhance the export capabilities of Sri Lankan SMEs. This initiative includes three components: I: ExpoNavigator for awareness raising and training, II: ExpoScaleUp for capacity-building and export marketing planning, and III: ExpoConnect for market access support through trade fairs and B2B meetings.
The International Trade Centre (ITC), in collaboration with the British High Commission in Colombo and the SheTrades Sri Lanka Hub, hosted by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), launched two sector-specific export handbooks aimed at equipping Sri Lankan women-led businesses with essential knowledge to enter the United Kingdom (UK) market. The launch event which, held on 27th January at Westminster House in Colombo convened key stakeholders from Sri Lanka and the UK to mark this significant milestone in trade facilitation.
As per the provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Customs, the merchandise export performance in December 2024 amounted to US$ 1,042.5 million, reflecting an 4.06% increase compared to December 2023. This was mainly due to the increase in earnings from export of Apparel & Textiles, Tea, Rubber based products, Coconut based products, Spices & Concentrates and Food & Beverages.
The 26th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony, aimed to recognize best exporters in Sri Lanka, will be held on 7th February 2025 with the sponsorship of Sampath Bank PLC as the Platinum Sponsor. Further DFCC Bank PLC and the Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC) will be the Silver Sponsors of the event. These sponsors have joined hands with the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) to support the event.
The 26th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), will take place on Friday, February 7, 2025, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) under the patronage of His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
On December 27, 2024, His Excellency Ruben Gauci, High Commissioner of the Republic of Malta to India and Sri Lanka, met with Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman and CEO of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), at the EDB premises to discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade relations between Malta and Sri Lanka. Mr. Shano Sabar, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Malta to Sri Lanka, and senior EDB officials also attended the meeting.
A delegation from CEAT, an RPG India company, led by Managing Director and CEO Mr. Arnab Banerjee, met with Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman and CEO of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), recently at the EDB Head Office in Colombo.
The Export Development Board (EDB) successfully conducted a networking and knowledge sharing session for the women entrepreneurs registered under the “Women Entrepreneurship Development Program” recently at the EDB-NDB Tower, Colombo 02. The event addressed one of the key barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, lack of networking opportunities with industry leaders.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (SLACMA) and Technobiz Lanka, successfully conducted a two-day workshop on Dry Rubber Compounding Technology and Plant Management. The event, held on December 20–21, 2024, at the EDB headquarters, aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of technical professionals in the rubber manufacturing industry, including those serving the automotive sector.
In a significant development for Sri Lanka’s Fair trade sector, a stakeholders' meeting was recently held in Colombo in December 2024, organized by the Export Development Board (EDB) and the Fairtrade Network of Asia Pacific Producers (NAPP), Sri Lanka. The meeting aimed to discuss the main projects currently executing, future of Fairtrade in Sri Lanka, issues pertaining to the sector and its expanding international presence.
Total exports for November 2024, including both merchandise and services, were recorded at US$ 1,269.33 million, reflecting a marginal increase of 0.04% compared to the same period in 2023.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in France, successfully organized Sri Lanka's participation at SIAL Paris 2024 - one of the world’s leading F & B exhibitions held once every two years in France - which took place from 19th to 23rd October, 2024, in Paris.
Australian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka H.E. Paul Stephens and his team met Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of EDB to strengthen bilateral trade relations between Australia and Sri Lanka.
From December 16th to December 19th, ITC's GTEX Project in Sri Lanka, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), held a training-of-trainers session followed by a training workshop on Circular Economy Business Models for the Textile and Clothing Industry.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Thailand, the Sri Lanka Automobile Component Manufacturers Association (SLACMA), and the Thai-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce, organized an exposure and study tour to Thailand for Sri Lankan automotive exporters and manufacturers.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) co-organized a series of factory visits as part of the UK-Sri Lanka Trade Mission under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme.
National Packaging Centre (NPC) of the EDB was established for the promotion and development of the Packaging industry in Sri Lanka. It supports a wide range of stakeholders, including exporters, manufacturers, designers, SMEs, women entrepreneurs, students, and research institutions. By fostering collaboration among the government bodies and other partners, the NPC is playing a vital role in advancing Sri Lanka’s packaging industry and supporting sustainable growth in the agricultural export sector.
The United Kingdom (UK)-Sri Lanka Trade Mission, co-organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), successfully concluded its Jaffna program on 04th December 2024. This initiative highlighted the export potential of women-led businesses in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Northern region.
