Former Deputy Leader of the United National Party, MP Ravi Karunanayake, has called for discussions with the United States to resolve the long-standing trade disparity between the two nations.
“Whether we like to accept it as a country or not, the export‑to‑import gap ratio between Sri Lanka and the US is 1:10,” MP Karunanayake remarked. He noted that this imbalance has persisted for the past decade and stressed that, under current circumstances, the issue should be addressed through direct dialogue with the US.
Highlighting Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to recover from bankruptcy, he urged that the United States treat Sri Lanka on its own merits when considering import duties, rather than applying a one‑size‑fits‑all approach.
MP Karunanayake shared these views during an all‑party conference convened by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss recent import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and to plan future responses. He further observed that the US President, acting in his capacity as a businessman, has not taken into account the policies of the World Trade Organization in making these tariff decisions.
