Sri Lanka's Ministry of Finance has taken steps to prohibit the re-export of key spices such as pepper, Areca nut, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, and cloves.

The ban was issued through a gazette notification under Commercial Hub Regulations in the Finance Act.

“ No approval shall be granted under these regulations  to any enterprise to engage in entreport  and/ or provision of logistic services to any re-export business/ activities or transshipment related to spices and allied products namely, pepper, Areca nut, cinnamon, tamarind, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, and cloves,” it said.

The purpose of the ban is to encourage and protect small export crop farmers and small and medium scale industrialists.

Sri Lanka has been famous for an exquisite range of spices for centuries. These include cinnamon, pepper, cloves, cardamoms, nutmeg, mace and vanilla. Out of exports under other agriculture commodities, 56% comprise of spices and allied products and essential oil sector and 55% of this is cinnamon and related products.