Sri Lanka is among 60 trading partners that will face new United States import tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5%, with the revised duties taking effect today under the administration of President Donald Trump.
According to a notice issued by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Sri Lankan exports entering the US will be subject to a 10% tariff. The USTR said Sri Lanka qualified for the lower tariff rate after introducing measures to restrict imports linked to forced labour.
The agency noted that a 10% tariff applies to countries that have either imposed a ban on imports made with forced labour, committed to implementing such restrictions through a reciprocal trade agreement, or adopted a partial system aimed at preventing the importation of forced labour-produced goods.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the new tariff structure, which ranges from 10% to 12.5%, is intended to address forced labour concerns among US trading partners.
Sri Lanka joins countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom in receiving the 10% tariff rate. Imports from the European Union and Taiwan will also be subject to the same rate.
Meanwhile, 41 other trading partners that have not adopted similar forced labour import restrictions will face a higher tariff of 12.5%. These include China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and several Middle Eastern nations.
The new measures replace a temporary 10% tariff that President Trump introduced earlier this year after the US Supreme Court struck down several of his previous tariff orders. That temporary measure expired today, making way for the new tariff regime first proposed in June.
