Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed the Maldivian fish shipment which had been stalled at Sri Lankan Customs has now been cleared.
The foreign ministry stated the latest shipment of fish exported from the Maldives had been stalled in Sri Lanka due to a change brought to the import policies of Sri Lanka. The ministry stated the shipment has now been cleared following discussions between the two governments. The ministry said further discussions are ongoing to ensure Maldivian fish products can be exported to Sri Lanka, as per the assurance provided by the Sri Lankan government.
Sri Lanka has placed some restrictions on fish imports in an effort to revive the fishing sector of the country. As such, Sri Lanka has introduced new tax rates for fish imports, with USD 4 charged per kilogram of fish imported from the Maldives.
Sri Lanka is one of the major export markets for the Maldives, with fish contributing a large share of exports to Sri Lanka from the Maldives. Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture revealed over 5,000 tons of fish were exported to Sri Lanka last year.