‘Release US trade deal details & terms to public’ – Namal urges govt

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has welcomed the recent reduction in U.S. reciprocal tariff rates on Sri Lankan goods, while urging the Government to disclose full details of the trade and security agreements reached with the United States.

In a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), Rajapaksa stated, “Encouraging to see the United States tariff rates cut down to 20%, which now puts us with Vietnam and Bangladesh, and I congratulate the NPP Government for being persistent in its discussions with the U.S. trade representatives.”

However, he stressed the importance of transparency surrounding the negotiations that led to the tariff concession. 

“I call on the Government to be transparent on the ‘meaningful trade and security agreements’ reached with the U.S. Government in order to get the tariff reductions,” he said.

While acknowledging the need to support Sri Lankan exporters and improve competitiveness in the global market, Rajapaksa cautioned that such international agreements must not compromise the country’s sovereignty.

“We also have to ensure that all agreements reached with international partners are transparent and will not affect the sovereignty of the country. I call on the Government to release the agreement details to the public and the conditions reached,” he added.

The development follows an executive order signed on Thursday (31) by U.S. President Donald Trump, reducing tariffs on Sri Lankan goods from 44% to 20%, superseding the earlier rate announced in April.