Deputy Minister of Finance Prof. Anil Jayantha has admitted to making an error in a previous statement in which he claimed that Sri Lanka was the only country to have entered into talks with the United States over import tariffs.
Speaking during an appearance on the ‘Derana 360’ programme, Prof. Jayantha clarified that what he intended to convey was that Sri Lanka had made the most progress among Asian nations in such negotiations—not that it was the only country to do so.
He pointed out that the initial 44% tariff imposed on Sri Lankan exports by the U.S. on April 1 had since been reduced to 30%, reflecting some headway made through diplomatic engagement.
However, when the programme’s host interjected that Vietnam had successfully seen its 46% tariff cut to just 20%, Prof. Jayantha acknowledged the correction.
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