NextFin news, Hundreds of apparel industry workers in Sri Lanka took to the streets on Saturday in Colombo to protest against new trade tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
The tariffs on Sri Lankan garment exports to the US were reduced from 44 percent to 20 percent following negotiations with the US trade department. However, workers and trade union leaders expressed concerns that the new tariff would increase export costs, reduce orders, and potentially lead to factory closures.
Anton Marcus, a trade union leader, stated that the high tariff endangers approximately 16,000 jobs in the apparel export sector. He also noted that fringe benefits for workers, including uniforms, annual excursions, sports festivals, and year-end receptions, have been stopped.
The Sri Lankan government, in August, said the 20 percent tariff rate places the country on par with key competitors in the garment export industry such as Bangladesh and Vietnam. Nonetheless, the export industry continues to urge for a tariff lower than 20 percent to remain competitive.
Sri Lanka's annual export volume, mainly garments and rubber goods, amounts to about 3 billion US dollars, while imports from the US total approximately 3 million US dollars.
The protest took place in Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
Source: NewsDrum, Devdiscourse, PTI
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