28 March, 2024

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U.S. GSP Expires On December 31, 2017

The United States’ Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program expires on December 31, 2017. The United States Congress did not re-authorize GSP before adjourning for the year. The immediate effect of GSP expiration is GSP eligible imports to the United States from Sri Lanka and other GSP beneficiary countries and territories will be subject to non-preferential duties beginning January 1, 2018.

“The United States is proud to serve as the top export market for Sri Lanka. According to the Global Trade Atlas, in 2016, the United States imported $2.8 billion of Sri Lankan goods,” says the U.S. Embassy Colombo.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s web site has a page dedicated to GSP program information with detailed information on importation procedures during a program lapse. 

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    It is good catch CT got this sensitive peace of information. But it is only sensitive. not alarming in anyway.

    This is small matter to America. Most of Lankawe matters are handled by lower level employees not by Congress or President. This is not going have much impact on Congress’s decision or any change on the automatic renewal. High chance is Congress might have slipped it through only cracks. So when it reconvenes the approval is automatic. If that is not happening, The American Siva Shankar Menon, who has lot of tied up political interest with Ranil, will have that cleared at Congress for Ranil.

    Ranil did not show much interest in having the congress approve it before deadline because he had successfully fooled EU on that. So (if) what falls down on American GSP+ is gained through the EP’s one.

    Lankawe Has long plan to deal in case if America did not renew GSP. This they set up when Hillary Clinton put a halt to IMF loan. They beat her efforts of blocking and get even higher amounts of loan after that. In Old King’s time, they were considering to relabel the products on China’s name and sell it to West. This will suddenly bring the price fetched by the Lankawe products much higher with the quality of products of Chinese on the international market. I did not come to know if there was any final agreement reached for the tea and garments that time between Old Royals and China. Negotiation could have failed that time because the Old Royals might have demanded 40% from China for the new labelling. So until new commission sharing agreement is reached, they may not start relabeling Lankawe products to China. But I think sooner or later Ranil will reach an agreement with China and start that contract. Ranil has killed the ETCA, which India started in Old Royals time.

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      Mallaiuyran: Soem of what you have written us lies. with or without GSP Sri lanka exports only about 0.1% of all the exports worth and the value is about $ 1 billion, I heard upto now, for this year, Sri lanka di dnot achieve even that goal. It is far below. One report said, the fish export was only 45%. Ranil di dnot have to kill ETCA. Because, since 1998 there is a trade agreement between indian and Sri lanka is inplace. India has a Trade surplus and Sri lanka has a trade deficit, The trade to india is twice what we send come back. So, why he has to sign ETCA. Because, he has hired every to the govt and that makes govt institutions lose money and people do not like to labour work so not enough labourers. that is why indians work on visitor visa. Do not write crap.

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        Softy,
        ETCA is not a loan to ask commission; not a gambling like National Carrier. Not even an investment formula to evaluate with Financial and Economics formulas. But it is opening of markets for competition. All reasonable evaluations have commanded that ETCA is highly favorable to Lankawe instead of India. Then, I do not see a reason for the Asian Lion or the Asian Miracle to fear about Indian companies and backing off from that humongous market. As you know ETCA’s maximum use in Lankawe is only if it can work in to help or lose LG election. No commission; unfavorable election result; then UNP has no way to consider of its advantages to Lankawe.

        The general equilibrium is if Lankawe is importing more, then the currency will adjust itself and prices fluctuate, at the end the market bound to turn advantages to Lankawe’s to export more. It is industriousness decide where the equilibrium sets in. So many African Countries may not achieve as much as of Singapore’s wealth by free trading with it, though may find prices becoming cheaper for them too. Say now only $500 million Lankawe can export to India and India can export $1 billion, and the free trade start and trade volume increases & the Lankawe exports for one billion; then the chances are, when the Lankawe exports double for bigger market of India, Indian imports cannot double because the market on Lankawe is small. They may only increase to $1.2 billion. This will ease the pain of trade balances to Lankawe’s favor.

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        Tilak Marapana went and asks permission from China to accommodate Indian ETCA. China has loaned a lot to Lankawe, now Indian free trade cannot come in and spoil their loan value by foreign direct investments. So China, it is understood, had rejected Lankawe request. Ranil went Delhi, but did not release the truth, though tried more to squeeze out of India. If India had bent, Ranil would find ways to cheat China and bring in India. Now India did not adjust more favorably for Lankawe. So Ranil simply dropped out the ETCA as he is not losing anything because China is not willing, anyway, to let India in. This is what happened when Old King wanted have the Nuraicholai repaired by India. To teach a lesson for Indi and Lankawe, China blocked the repair works, blamed the CEB engineers for problems, gripped the Colombo Pong Cing and forced to close down Samboor power station talks. Instead of going though all those struggles Old King went through, Ranil is staying ahead in the case of ETCA.

    • 3
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      The suspension of GSP is in response to the SL vote pro-Palestine vote on Jeruselem.

      Nikki H said that they were watching how countries voted and those who voted against US would have to pay for it.
      Best of SL to look to East for new export markets beyond Trump land!.

      BTW Mullayan, Bond scam Ranil has already sold Sri Lanka to the US and China and there is nothing more to sell in his greed for power through bribing corrupt politicians.

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      This is the result of voting against Jerusalem (Israel’s Capital).

      As Sirisena changed his much talked about Asbestos ban to appease Russia, can he take back the vote on Jerusalem?

      Sorry Lanka is falling down to trouble and trouble. At least now consider Tamil Elam and save yourselves Lankans!

  • 2
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    CT please do not panic us. China and Russia will step in and help us out.

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    Looking at those figures, it strikes me that we are very fortunate that Trump is a man of such low intelligence.

    Also, I hope that other Sinhalese readers than I will note how fully K. Pillai identifies with Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, many of my fellow Sinhalese believe in the Vijaya myth, and don’t realise how important it is that we unite as one Sri Lankan nation. Call it Lankawe, and we’ve taken two steps back, in the present situation.

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    Don’t you think the cat’s out of the bag ??
    The relationship between the USA and SL is affected due to the fact the big time WANTED Russian Hacker was smuggled out of SL in the pretext of the tele drama known as ” storm in the fake tea cup ‘ ??
    Then the Prez championed himself saying look look I have stopped the fake tea cup drama.
    Drama queens of all shapes and sizes.

    • 1
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      Under Appa diplomacy, Lankawe knows the art of playing “Super Market Sales” Ads. If the supermarket wants to milk the customer on orange, and Banana it lower the apple. It wants rob on bread and Cake is reduce the pasta. Lankawe knows when it kicks on India or America’s buttock, gently pat on the back of Russia and China. ( It will do the other way and teach others also lessons. Russia and China understands that ,but not India or America. That is why they used computers and tea. ) Lankawe used 32 Hyena-Lion relationship countries to come together and help it to suppress the Tamils’ freedom war.

      Sonia, Shivshankar Menon, Narayan pawned India to Lankawe and China. Now even PM Modi is seeing without selling Madras or Calcutta or even Mumbai Seaports to Lanka – China do, redeeming India from Lanka-China duo is impossible. Many times Mr. Modi offered a percentage of India under the name of ETCA. But smart Ranil did not Budge. Ex State Secretary John Kerry, under the influence of the Sinhala Intellectual at Boston, sold America with name of GSP+ to Lankawe. When EU was trying it to curb Lankawe, Ex. Secretary Kerry went against to that and saved Lankawe from EU’s pressure.
      Sec .Kerry came to power out beating UN envoy, Susan Rice, by the Lankawe’s activity in America with millions dollars giving to PR firms. Democratic Party was not willing to investigate it fully.

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      When Secretary Kerry was leaving, we offered in CT a thrilling statement to release for his confession of his Lankawe policy’s failure. But he used a dull one, pretty bad even than Manmohan Sing used and was written by Boston Sinhala Intellectual “Some SLFP Members did not corporate with us”. It was shameful statement of an American Secretary when comparing the political influence of America and Lankawe. Interestingly those are the SLFP member he chased out of Temple Tree House in Jan 2015. Now America has to sell the Tea Party Boston Harbor to Lankawe and China if they want to have them redeemed. Nikki Hailie has not even 1/3 of knowledge in Appa Diplomacy comparing with Ex undersecretary Nisha Biswas. But even Biswas was not able to move a pebble in Lankawe. American Shivshankar Menon is unlikely to let Nikki Hailie gain any knowledge either.
      When NATO started its activity in Libya, China sent cargo ships to withdraw its 40,000 of its workers. If President Trump or Nikki is expecting that when they cut the GSP+, China has to send ships to recollect anything it left in Lankawe and bugger off, it is really bad political strategy. China will be ready to launch an atomic war with the Help of Russia, if it has to do that to consolidate its holding in Lankawe. Trade minister Rishard, to show his Anti-American policy has already said “we didn’t need the GSP+(<,so America can take it back and be get the heck out of here). The end seems to be it is America, like India has to leave Lankawe. But China, with help of Russia will foot deeper and deeper in Lankawe. Lankawe is not Libya.

  • 2
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    No GSP Plus until after March 2019. US should insist the full implementation of the L30/1 UN HRC Resolution, into war crimes, crimes against humanity before March 2019 with international judges, prosecutors and lawyers.
    Ranil needs to know who will be in charge, China or US, definitely not him in March 2019.

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    Sri Lank could have abstained in voting against USA. This is a grave mistake by SL. As you can see world now seems to understand that they have taken for a ride by a present government.

  • 1
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    Donald Trump is a man who cannot be trifled with . He may not be a good friend but he can be a deadly enemy. `A few months ago, Sri Lanka abstained from voting in favour of a U.N sponsored move to recognize Palestine as a nation. On this occasion we voted in favour of a U.N sponsored “reprimand” of Trump’s action in moving the U.S embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Leaving aside all the historic facts and the reasons for or against, my only question is, what do we have to gain by angering the Yanks?! If we say it is not the economy but the principle, then why did we RUSH to appease the Russians when they refused to buy our tea on a trumped-up charge? The media is full of accusations and counter accusations in regard to that, but the fact is we conducted ourselves in the most disgraceful manner and we all acknowledge that. If we are so fastidiously aware of our principles. well, just read the news about our public and private sectors, the GMOA, RPCs, Srilankan airlines, etc etc. When we were on the brink of annihilation by the LTTE, we bought KFIRS and DVORAS from the Israelis. No question, but without those items and other weapons we would have nothing to boast of. Did we get any help or support from the Palestinians or even the Arab nations? So, having dealt with Sri Lankan Princples we have to deal with the practical aspects. Right now, C.B says that inflation is at 7.5%. The Iranian inflation at 8% is what is causing the current uprising in Iran, which incidentally another of our very good friends who offered to build us a brand new refinery and built us the leaky tunnel in Bandarawela. A highly educated and respected Minister of the State says, “OH, its a minor matter”!!
    God bless us all!!

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