A European Union (EU) GSP+ Monitoring Mission is scheduled to reach Sri Lanka today for a biannual review of the country’s compliance with Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade requirements. The team will stay until May 7, meeting government officials, businesses, civil society, and trade unions, and conducting site visits.

Sri Lanka is one of eight countries benefiting from GSP+, a special EU scheme granting duty-free access for countries implementing 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, environmental protection, and good governance.

The EU, a single market of 450 million people, is Sri Lanka’s second-largest export destination, accounting for €2.7 billion in 2024 exports – 85% of which entered duty-free under GSP+.

The mission’s visit coincides with Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen its fragile economic recovery, amid talks of new U.S. tariffs and an ambitious target of $18.2 billion in exports for 2025.