The Exporters Association of Sri Lanka (EASL) has called on the government to establish a clear and internationally aligned implementation framework for newly gazetted regulations prohibiting the importation of goods produced through forced labour.
In a statement, the Association welcomed Sri Lanka’s commitment to upholding internationally accepted labour standards and supporting global efforts to eliminate forced labour from supply chains, noting that such measures are important for maintaining confidence in the country’s trading environment.
However, the EASL pointed out that while the regulations have been gazetted, the operational guidelines required for their implementation have yet to be finalised.
The Association said the absence of a clearly defined framework could lead to uncertainty, increased compliance costs, shipment delays, additional administrative burdens and disruptions to legitimate trade.
It urged the government to engage in structured consultations with exporters, importers, chambers of commerce, logistics providers and other stakeholders before introducing operational procedures.
The EASL also recommended adopting a risk-based enforcement model in line with international best practices, focusing on high-risk goods, supply chains and jurisdictions rather than requiring blanket documentation for every import transaction.
In addition, the Association called on Sri Lanka Customs to publish comprehensive implementation guidelines covering documentation requirements, verification procedures and reasonable transition arrangements before enforcement begins.
EASL Chairman Nalaka Ratnayake said Sri Lanka’s exporters fully support ethical trade and the elimination of forced labour from global supply chains, but stressed that any new compliance regime should be backed by clear guidelines and meaningful stakeholder consultation to ensure legitimate trade is not adversely affected. He said a transparent, practical and risk-based approach would help achieve the objectives of the regulations while preserving Sri Lanka’s competitiveness as a trading nation. (Newswire)