Sri Lanka re-invited to Kunming

China is planning to provide favourable policies for customs clearance and inland transportation for exports coming from Sri Lanka.

It will also allocate a special area for Sri Lanka in the forthcoming Kunming International Trade Fair and provide 100 free booths for Sri Lanka at this fair, said Huang Shah, Vice Chairperson of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), addressing Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishard Bathiudeen.

Minister Bathiudeen promptly assured: “Sri Lanka will have exceptional participation at the forthcoming international fair.”

Shah made the statements on Tuesday on the occasion of the official handing over of the Chinese Ministerial level invitation to Bathiudeen for the fourth South Asian trade fair to be held in June in Kunming, China.

The fourth South Asian Countries’ Trade Fair (SACTF) and business forum fair will be held from 5 to 10 June at Kunming. Kunming is a well-known transportation hub in south western China, located within the Yunnan Province.

The Ministry of Commerce of China with the Yunnan Provincial Government has invited Minister Bathiudeen to take part in the exhibition from 6 to 10 June 2011 and the Business Forum held from 5 to 7 June 2011.

Bathiudeen, addressing the delegation, revealed that China is the second largest supplier of goods to Sri Lanka.

“Today China has become an important market for Sri Lanka and under the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, Sri Lankan exporters have been able to enter into the Chinese market. China is the second largest supplier of goods to Sri Lanka. Our exports to China has shown a significant growth of 50%  in 2010 compared to 2009, having increased value of Sri Lanka’s exports  from US$ 59 million 2009  to US$ 80 million  in 2010,” the Minister said.

“In our export promotion drive, it is very important for us to actively participate at international trade fairs.  In this context, I greatly appreciate the Kunming trade fair authorities extending an invitation to Sri Lanka for the third consecutive year,” he added.

Bathiudeen assured: “My Ministry will extend its fullest cooperation and we will hopefully ensure that this year Sri Lanka’s participation will be exceptional.”    

SACTF is an annual trade fair organised in parallel to the China Import and Export Fair known as the Kunming Fair and it is exclusively limited to South Asian countries. A three day business forum is also organised to coincide with the trade fair.

Last year the Sri Lanka pavilion won the ‘Best Country Pavilion’ award at the SACTF. This year Sri Lanka expects to take over 100 Sri Lankan exporters for this prestigious event. “Sri Lanka has been actively participating in this fair and has shown very positive results,” the Minister said. 

Also present on the occasion were Xu Lei (staff, China Kunming Import and Export Fair Office), Yin Dong (Vice Chief of International Relations and Membership Affairs Division of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Yunnan Sub-Council), Bao Yaxiong (Vice Chief of International Exchange Division, Yunnan Foreign Affairs Office) and Deshabandu Macky Hashim, Immediate Past President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.