The Sri Lanka–Korea Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently hosted an awareness session titled “Doing Business with South Korea”, bringing together key stakeholders to explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations between Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea.
The event was graced by Miyon Lee, along with officials from the Embassy, including Eunji Kang and Minwoo Jo.
The session provided an overview of existing bilateral trade and investment relations, while highlighting potential export opportunities for Sri Lankan businesses in the Korean market. It identified high-potential sectors for exporters, examined emerging market trends, and discussed future prospects for Sri Lankan products. The programme also focused on the effective utilisation of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), outlining eligibility criteria and compliance requirements to support businesses seeking market entry and expansion in South Korea.
In her address, Ambassador Miyon Lee acknowledged the Sri Lanka–Korea Business Council as a long-standing partner of Korean companies and commended the resilience of the Sri Lankan people amid recent challenges. She noted progress in economic stabilisation, institutional reforms, and anti-corruption efforts, describing these developments as encouraging signals for investors.
The Ambassador emphasised the importance of further strengthening an investment-friendly environment, supporting ongoing Korean business ventures, and identifying new areas for bilateral cooperation. She also highlighted the need to streamline Sri Lanka’s tariff structure and expand Free Trade Agreements with key trading partners.
Referring to Sri Lanka’s national tariff policy, she observed that such reforms could help reduce protectionism, improve competitiveness, and better integrate the country into global value chains. She further expressed hope for the timely implementation of the National Single Window system, as well as full compliance with commitments under the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement and intellectual property obligations under the World Intellectual Property Organization framework.
Hutchison Ports Sri Lanka sets new container throughput record with MSC vessel
Hambantota International Port (HIP) successfully handled the container vessel MSC Marie Leslie, marking one of its highest-volume vessel calls to date and further strengthening its position as an emerging regional hub for containerised cargo.
The vessel, operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), was berthed at HIP from April 11 to 15, 2026. During this period, the port recorded 7,968 container moves, equivalent to a total throughput of 13,260 TEUs—the highest single-vessel volume handled by the port to date.
This achievement surpasses previous records, including 12,957 TEUs handled on MSC Ilenia and 11,369 TEUs on MSC Ruby in March 2026, reflecting a consistent upward trajectory in HIP’s container handling performance.
Port officials noted that the operation underscores HIP’s growing operational capability and its ability to manage high-volume vessel calls efficiently. Commenting on the milestone, Tommy Yang said the achievement reflects the coordination, discipline, and capability of teams across all functions.
He added that as cargo volumes continue to rise, the port remains focused on delivering safe, efficient, and reliable services to its customers.
The operation was supported by multiple departments including operations, engineering, safety, and navigation teams, along with external partners who contributed to maintaining high productivity levels under demanding conditions.
Strategically located just 10 nautical miles from the main East–West shipping route, Hambantota International Port continues to expand its container handling capacity in response to evolving global trade dynamics and growing demand for alternative transshipment hubs. The successful handling of MSC Marie Leslie further reinforces HIP’s readiness to accommodate larger volumes and strengthens its role within the regional maritime and logistics network.
Opportunities explored to strengthen Sri Lanka–Republic of Korea bilateral trade
