Sri Lanka will import 5,500 MT of Basmati rice duty free from Pakistan for the year 2007 under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with that country.

Sri Lanka public sector is to import 500 MT while the rest is imported by the private agencies liable to a “certificate of origin” issued by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. Sri Lankan importers can now apply for the issuance of letter of recommendation to import Basmati rice through the Ministry of Finance.