Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake called US President Donald Trump's imposition of 34 percent tariffs on Sri Lankan exports a national disaster for the island nation and its economy.
"The new US tariffs were unexpected for Sri Lanka, we were not prepared for them. They have become a national disaster for our country, the damage from which is comparable to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the tsunami attack," the Daily Mirror newspaper quoted an excerpt from the head of state's speech at a meeting with leaders of the opposition parties in Sri Lanka.
All political forces in Sri Lanka must fight the consequences of the introduction of the US tariffs; The government is counting on the opposition's support, Dissanayake said. The meeting participants urged the president to consider removing Sri Lanka's tariffs on US imports and to discuss with Washington the issue of expanding US investment in the Sri Lankan economy to produce products for export, using tariff incentives under the Free Trade Agreement.
The US is one of Sri Lanka's largest trading partners, with total annual exports of Sri Lankan goods, mainly garments, to the US market amounting to $3 billion.