The US embassy in Colombo has reached out to the Sri Lankan government to ensure that exports continue in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak on the island, reports the Daily Mirror.
US companies bought more than US$ 2.7 billion Sri Lankan goods and services in 2018, and with Sri Lanka’s already weak economy hit hard by the coronavirus crisis, Washington has sought to ensure that those exports continue.
The Daily Mirror reported that “the US Embassy in Colombo has reached out to the Government and requested that the operations of businesses exporting key products to the US continue while taking precautions to ensure the staff are protected from the virus”.
US Embassy spokesperson Nancy Van Horn told the Daily Mirror that the United States continues to be the single largest export destination for Sri Lankan products, purchasing approximately 26% of its exports. “As always, worker safety remains paramount to our countries and we welcome the efforts of Government and industry leaders to ensure appropriate social distancing,” she added.
The reports comes as Sri Lanka’s economy continues to reel from the effects of the pandemic.
