The Sri Lanka–United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce in London (SLUKCC) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka High Commission in London (SLHC), hosted a panel discussion on the theme "Building Stronger Trade Bridges Between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom".

The focus of the discussion was on enhancing bilateral trade and economic ties between Sri Lanka and the UK. In his opening remarks, Mr. Eranga Pathirage, President of SLUKCC, emphasized the Chamber’s pivotal role in connecting businesses, institutions, and communities across both nations. He outlined how SLUKCC collaborates with SLHC and UK partners to turn interest into tangible trade, investment, and services partnerships.

Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to the UK, H.E. Nimal Senadheera, also addressed the gathering, highlighting the UK as Sri Lanka's second-largest export market and a key partner in investment and innovation. He reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with the UK and emphasized the UK’s role not only as a trading partner but also as a long-term investor and a source of innovation for Sri Lanka's growth. He encouraged Sri Lankan businesses to take full advantage of the UK's Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), particularly for SMEs, and noted recent improvements to the scheme, such as relaxed Rules of Origin for apparel starting this year.

Lord John Hannett of Everton OBE, the UK’s Trade Envoy to Sri Lanka, delivered the keynote address, spotlighting the potential for growth in trade, investment, and modern value chains. He stressed the importance of close collaboration between business and government to foster long-term commercial partnerships. He also urged companies to capitalize on the DCTS and leverage SLUKCC as a platform for exploring new opportunities. Lord Hannett is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka later this year, which will provide further opportunities for advancing trade and investment discussions.

Mr. Arjuna Herath, Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka, participated virtually from Sri Lanka and spoke about the country’s improving investment climate and its growth objectives. He shared Sri Lanka’s ambition to achieve nearly 7% economic growth through attracting high-quality investments, highlighting the booming real estate developments in Colombo’s business districts as an example.

The panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Simon Culhane, Director of SLUKCC. The panellists included H.E. Nimal Senadheera, Lord John Hannett, Mr. Arjuna Herath (BOI), Mr. Suraj Wijendra (Marks and Spencer Plc), and Ms. Kerry Hallard, CEO of the Global Sourcing Association (GSA) & Chair of the Global Technology & Business Services Council.

During the event, Mr. Somasena Mahadivulwewa, Minister (Commercial) at the SLHC, gave a presentation on Sri Lanka Expo 2026, organized by the Export Development Board (EDB) of Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place from 18 to 21 June 2026 at the BMICH in Colombo, the Expo will feature investment and export opportunities, alongside parallel events and special concessions for foreign buyers, visitors, and journalists. He emphasized the importance of strong UK participation and announced that the High Commission would facilitate UK delegations in partnership with the EDB.

The event concluded with a lively Q&A and networking sessions, allowing over 40 participants to engage directly with the speakers and panellists. Key discussion topics included Sri Lanka's strategic location as a gateway to Asia, its tourism potential, strengths in IT and BPO, product branding, the Colombo Port City Project, and broader trade and investment opportunities, including Sri Lanka’s integration into global value chains.

Directors of SLUKCC Lushani Kodituwakku, Shyamali Ranasinghe, Thana Sivasambu, Peter Hawkins, Simon Culhane, Angelo De Visser, Safdar Bandukwala, Charles Rohan De Alwis and Eranga Pathirage (President) attended the event.