BANGKOK: Sri Lanka’s total exports to Thailand will continue to decline as the total value of Sri Lanka’s largest export to Thailand, gems and jewellery declined significantly over the last two years, Minister of Primary Industries Daya Gamage said. Minister Gamage was addressing the Business Forum organized by the Export Development Board recently . Minister Gamage said Thailand is Sri Lanka’s third biggest export destination in the Asian region.
However, Sri Lanka’s exports to Thailand declined in 2014 and were valued only at US $ 54 million in 2014. Out of the total exports from Sri Lanka, less than 5-6% goes to Thailand and the cumulative trade between Sri Lanka and Thailand is around US $ 520 million. Minister also added the amount of Sri Lankans visiting Thailand is growing every year and more than 27, 600 Sri Lankans visited Thailand during the first seven months of 2015.
However, around 5,538 tourists arrived from Thailand to Sri Lanka during the same period. Tourist arrivals from Thailand to Sri Lanka grew by only 3% during the same period compared to the previous year. Thailand main exports to Sri Lanka include used cars, sugar, textiles, dried fish, cement, chemical products and automobile parts while Sri Lankan exports include gems and jewellery, tea, spices, fibers and metal products.
