A webinar, organised by Sri Lanka Export Development Board under the theme, ‘Finding an Overseas Buyer’, highlighted the need for Sri Lankan exporters to identify potential overseas markets in commencing exports as selling into larger markets creates economies of scale which helps to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Addressing the webinar, Charitha Yattogoda, Director of Commerce heading the Trade Promotion Division-Department of Commerce said in order to find right overseas buyers for Sri Lankan made products, local exporters need to analyze whether the identified product or products are having any preferential market access in foreign markets.
“Moreover, it is essential to select a product or products of export interests, assess the export readiness, Assess whether the identified product or products could meet required quality standards stipulated in the identified potential overseas markets, Obtain required details related to local stakeholders and local requirements in relation to exporting the identified product or products and to reach out for potential buyers for the identified product or products in the selected potential overseas markets in commencing exports,” Yattogoda said.
Speaking on how to select a product or products of export interests, Yattogoda said main criteria for selection of product for export include trends in exports, product adaptability, trade restrictions, Shifting spending patterns, production capacity and product availability, demand in potential export market, incentives and facilities offered by the government and quality and niche marketing.
He further said that the exporter has to identify imports in potential markets in particular tariff, para tariffs known as other duties and charges , non tariff measures, barriers such as Non tariff measures and Barriers such as sanitary and phyto sanitary measures for protecting human , animal and plant health .
In addition, the exporters need to identify technical barriers to trade, especially measures related to environmental protection, public safety, National security etc, Yattogoda noted.
“It is also essential to check whether the identified products are qualified for preferential market access. To do that the exporter needs to check the list of eligible products under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) as some arrangements have a positive list and concessions are granted for the products in the list while some arrangements have a negative list and concessions are granted for the products which are not in the list.”
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