Sri Lanka Submits Formal Request to US Over Tariff Concerns

COLOMBO (News 1st); Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, commenting on the recent US tariff decisions and their implications for Sri Lanka noted that the government has already submitted a formal request to the United States regarding the tariffs, and discussions are expected to follow.

"We have made a written request to the US government regarding our concerns. We hope they will discuss it accordingly. We are taking action across various sectors in response to this situation," Dr. Jayatissa stated.

He emphasized that the government had anticipated such developments, which is why a tax policy was proposed in the recent budget.

"We have been discussing how to handle such situations at the government level. We believe that through our diplomatic and economic strategies, we can find a fair solution to this issue," he added.

When questioned about the opposition's criticism that the government had not done enough, Dr. Jayatissa responded, "The opposition is trying to portray this as an issue specific to Sri Lanka. In reality, there is global turmoil regarding these tariffs. Stock markets in several countries have crashed. Every country is taking measures to address this situation."

He further explained that the government had already presented decisions in the budget on how to review the tax policy and diversify export markets. "We are discussing how to diversify our export markets instead of relying on a single country. Managing all these aspects simultaneously was necessary," he noted.

Dr. Jayatissa stated that the current criticism from those who previously disrupted the country's trade balance is baseless.