Apparel industry urges collective readiness as EU due diligence rules loom

• SLAEA Chairperson Rajitha Jayasuriya stresses CSDDD is structural shift in global trade, not just another regulation, with legal obligations across entire supply chains
• Notes Directive impacts not only apparel exports, but also tea, rubber, manufacturing and other export sectors 
• Warns continued access to trade benefits like GSP+ hinges on compliance with human rights, environmental and governance standards
• Says failure to align with CSDDD risks loss of vital EU market access, affecting jobs, industries and economy
• Calls for systemic approach to integrate due diligence into corporate culture, supply chain governance and trade policy

By Charumini de Silva

Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association Chairperson  Rajitha Jayasuriya  - Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association (SLAEA) Chairperson Rajitha Jayasuriya recently called for urgent coordinated national action in response to the European Union’s (EU) new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), warning that the legislation marks a fundamental shift in how international trade will be governed going forward.

Addressing a multi-stakeholder awareness session convened to discuss the implications of the CSDDD, she stressed that the Directive’s reach extends far beyond the apparel industry and will have sweeping consequences for Sri Lanka’s export economy. 

“This isn’t another regulation—it’s a structural transformation in global trade, placing legal obligations across the entire value chain,” she explained. 

The CSDDD, which mandates that large EU companies and, by extension, their global suppliers, must identify, prevent, and mitigate human rights abuses and environmental harm throughout their operations, will reshape the requirements for doing business with European partners.

Jayasuriya highlighted that this framework affects not only apparel exporters, but also Sri Lankan firms in key industries such as tea, rubber, and 

manufacturing.

She warned that in a country so reliant on trade preferences and external markets, the stakes could not be higher. 

Apparel....

“Our continued eligibility for trade schemes like EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) depends on our demonstrable commitment to the principles that the CSDDD upholds, such as human rights, environmental protection, and good governance. This Directive reinforces the need for a proactive—not reactive—stance,” she pointed out. 

Jayasuriya acknowledged Sri Lanka’s well-earned reputation for ethical and sustainable manufacturing, particularly in the apparel sector, but cautioned that individual excellence must now evolve into collective readiness. 

“We can no longer rely on isolated examples of best practices. Every stakeholder across every sector must embrace responsibility and implement practical, measurable changes,” she added.

She also underscored the urgency of the moment, noting that as EU implementation draws near, Sri Lankan exporters must move swiftly to align with the Directive’s requirements or risk losing vital market access. “This is about safeguarding not just reputations, but livelihoods, industries, and the country’s economic future,” she stressed. 

The SLAEA Chairperson commended the efforts that went into assembling stakeholders across industries into an awareness session, describing it as a significant step towards building national response. 

Jayasuriya called for a systemic approach that integrates due diligence into corporate culture, supply chain governance, and trade strategy. “This conversation must not end here; it must accelerate,” she concluded.