Sri Lanka and China are in the process of negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which aims at enhancing bilateral trade. When tariffs are brought down through FTA negotiations, non-tariff means (NTMs) can reduce the use of the agreements if they are not effectively dealt, as experienced under the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ILFTA). NTMs should be identified at the onset and addressed along with tariff reductions/eliminations in order to make the FTA more beneficial to partner countries. In this light, the study aims at 1) identifying constraints including non-tariff measures faced by exporters in Sri Lanka in accessing the Chinese market, and 2) providing policy recommendations to ease/manage these constraints based on stakeholder interviews in selected sectors/products. The findings from the study will be shared with the negotiators in finalizing the FTA.
