Sri Lankan Garment sector faces uphill battle

The European Commission (EC) has warned that the Sri Lankan garment sector will face difficult times as the Sri Lankan Rupee's value continues to decline against the US dollar.

The Economic Advisor to the European Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Dilesh Jeyantha has warned that over the next six months the Sri Lankan Rupee is likely to settle at around 138 per US dollar, while speaking at a seminar organised by the European Commission (EC), which looked at the European crisis and its influence on the Sri Lankan economy.

Speakers at the seminar also warned that the Sri Lankan garment sector is starting to feel the blow from the suspension of the EU’s Generalised System of Preference (GSP) Plus, which raised the costs of exports to the EU substantially.

The Sri Lankan Rupee traded at 114 against the US dollar at the start of the year.

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