The Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP) has welcomed the US Trade Representative's decision to place Sri Lanka in the 10% tariff bracket under the recently concluded Section 301 investigations, calling it a major win for the country's rubber products export sector. The rate keeps Sri Lanka competitive with key rival exporting nations and comes after a turbulent 18-month period in which the initially proposed US reciprocal tariff of 44%, announced in April 2025, was scaled back first to 30% and then to 20% before settling at 10%. SLAMERP credited sustained diplomatic engagement by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's administration, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the US Mahinda Samarasinghe, the Washington embassy, and several government agencies for securing the favourable outcome. Chairman Pushpika Janadheera said global buyers weigh sourcing decisions on quality, reliability, and cost, and that securing tariff parity keeps Sri Lanka a competitive choice for international customers. The US is among Sri Lanka's largest markets for value-added rubber goods — including gloves, tyres, and rubber mattresses — a sector supporting hundreds of thousands of livelihoods, and SLAMERP said the outcome strengthens investor confidence while reaffirming its commitment to working with the government to boost the industry's long-term competitiveness.
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