Export benefit of EU’s GSP+ for Sri Lanka up to 2025

By Sanath Nanayakkare

The European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP Plus) trade concession that reduces or eliminates tariffs on a range of exports from Sri Lanka to the European Union (EU), which was earlier determined to continue up to 2023, is now likely to be extended up to 2025.

Denis Chaibi, Ambassador – Head of Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives told The Island Financial Review in Colombo on Wednesday that the EU’s GSP Plus concession to Sri Lanka would most probably be extended up to 2025 because of the current circumstances.

“But remember there are two ‘caveats’. This would be applicable only if the post- pandemic economic contraction leads to the same or less GDP per capita in Sri Lanka and also the EU conventions and principles, including labour and human rights, are met by the nation, he said.

“Since the EU recommended re-granting of the GSP Plus in May 2017, Sri Lankan exports to the EU increased by 20%. And now with the adverse effects from the pandemic, if the GDP per capita gets below gradation, the concession could be continued up to 2025 – and now it’s up to the government to decide if it wants to continue to fulfill the conditions on human rights, social and environmental standards for further engagement with the EU in this regard, he said.

The EU reintroduced the GSP Plus concession in May 2017. The country had benefited from GSP+ previously. But in 2010 the EU decided to stop giving preferential treatment to Sri Lankan imports because the government had failed to address reported human rights violations in the country.

The ambassador had had talks with Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardane and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinesh Gunawardane on the same day on a range of matters, he said.