The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the host of the Sri Lanka Hub for SheTrades, has collaborated with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the British High Commission in Colombo to publish two export handbooks for specific sectors in Sinhala and Tamil. The project seeks to build export readiness of women entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka to access the United Kingdom (UK) export market.
The newly released handbooks are on the two important export sectors – Textiles and Apparel (which includes women's accessories, footwear, and handicrafts), and Processed Agrifood and Spices. They offer valuable insights into UK export processes, regulations, compliance norms, and market expectations, equipping businesses for international trade.
Another key theme of the handbooks is the UK's Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) which provides duty free access to around 92 per cent of the Sri Lankan product lines exported to the UK. The guides provide guidance on the business opportunities that can be gained from the scheme as well as to help businesses conquer export documentation, quality standards and market entry requirements.
Key Highlights
- Sri Lanka launches Sinhala and Tamil export handbooks for women-led businesses and SMEs
- Guides cover textiles, apparel, processed agrifood, and spices for UK exports
- Resources explain the UK's DCTS, offering duty-free access to around 92% of Sri Lankan exports
The initiative is part of the UK Government-supported SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme which aims to empower women entrepreneurs in Commonwealth countries to be more competitive, capable and capable of accessing international markets. The programme helps women-run businesses to enhance their export capacities and market access.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe stated that the UK is one of the major trading partners of Sri Lanka in his speech at the launching. The DCTS offers a great opportunity for local businesses to tap and grow in the UK market under favourable trade terms, thus further strengthening the export capacity of Sri Lanka, he added.
Sri Lanka's United Kingdom trade envoy Lord Hannett said the handbooks are important and they must be translated into Sinhala and Tamil languages so that export knowledge will be available to the entrepreneurs in the country. He also commented that improved market information would help more businesses to understand what is needed to trade with the UK, and capitalise on opportunities to export.
EDB added that the partnership with ITC and the British High Commission demonstrates a mutual desire to strengthen women entrepreneurship, export of SMEs and export-led economic growth in a more inclusive manner. The program will help entrepreneurs with market intelligence and trade advice to enhance export performance and raise export earnings for the nation.
The bilingual export handbooks are accessible on the EDB's SheTrades resources page on the Sri Lanka Business website, and are tools that allow women entrepreneurs and SMEs to discover new opportunities in the UK export market.
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