EDB intensifies online export promotions
View(s):The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry and overseas Sri Lankan missions has initiated online sessions to enable foreign buyers and Sri Lankan exporters meet via virtual platforms, due to the difficulties of organising physical export promotion programmes during this pandemic situation.
EDB Director General Ms. Chitranjali Dissanayake
Numerous B2B meetings were conducted by the EDB under this initiative in collaboration with overseas Sri Lankan Missions and foreign trade chambers, EDB Director General, Ms. Chitranjali Dissanayake said in a media release.
The B2B meetings were conceptualised based on the products that have potential to access the respective markets. The Sri Lankan missions took the responsibility to introduce potential buyers/ importers for the selected products and the EDB coordinated with both the Sri Lankan missions and Sri Lankan exporters to organise online meetings in an effective manner.
Initially webinars were conducted prior to the B2B sessions to make exporters aware of the market conditions/trends, tariffs, taxes and other regulations as well as available concessions through free trade agreements and other preferential trade arrangements in the particular market areas. This series of meetings covered all the regions -the Americas, Asia, the EU, and West Asia for the identified potential product sectors.
Market focus
Targeting the Americas region, B2B events were carried out with buyers mainly from the US, Brazil and Chile for product sectors such as personal protective equipment (PPE), tea, cinnamon, curry leaves, coconut oil, beer, fabrics, lingerie, shapewear, coir-related products. As a result, some exporters are currently discussing with foreign buyers to send samples while few of them are making arrangements for their first orders.
Another virtual business meeting was conducted between six buyers from Qoo10 online platform and Sri Lankan companies related to kids’ stationary and educational toys in partnership with the Sri Lankan High Commission in Singapore and Singapore Business Federation. Sri Lankan exporters in apparel and spice sectors benefitted by a B2B meeting programme jointly organised by the EDB and the Sri Lanka Embassy in Poland in collaboration with the Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in Poland.
For the Japanese market, three B2B sessions were held for coir-related products, cocopeat and ayurveda and herbal cosmetics.
Promoting agriculture-related products
Several B2B meetings took place with the participation of Sri Lankan companies in the spices and concentrates sector with buyers from the US. Further, participant exporters benefited from the B2B events organised in collaboration with the Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK for the ayurveda and herbal cosmetics, coconut milk and vanilla product sectors, the EDB release said.
A number of B2B meetings were conducted for the Sri Lankan coconut-based products with the Turkish buyers for sub-sectors such as desiccated coconut, cocopeat, activated carbon and coconut kernel products. Preliminary discussions have been held with the Sri Lankan mission in South Africa to organise B2B meetings for edible coconut products, coir and growing mediums. Fruitful and productive business meetings were organised for coconut products and spices by the EDB and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Jordan.
Creating opportunities for industrial products
A virtual B2B meeting for the apparel industry for products such as men’s wear, women’s wear, kids wear, rainwear, hats etc was conducted during the last two months, and many Sri Lankan companies were benefited by the meetings they had with buyers from France and Poland.
A business meeting session was also conducted between Sri Lankan boat building companies and a boat builder from Denmark. This was followed by additional meetings for the boat building sector in different markets and consequent to it, there is an ongoing discussion to form a joint venture between a Turkish ship builder and a reputed Sri Lankan ship building company in the near future.