Sri Lanka, Nov. 5 -- Minister of Trade Wasantha Samarasinghe has clarified that the revised import tax of Rs. 280 per kilogram applies exclusively to Jasmine rice and sticky rice, rejecting reports that the measure also covers other varieties, including Nadu rice.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday (04), Samarasinghe said the two varieties had been removed from the special trade concession list and were now subject to the standard import duty of Rs. 280 per kilogram.

He stressed that Nadu rice was not covered by the revised tax and urged the public and media to check the relevant Harmonised System (HS) codes to establish which varieties were affected.

The Minister explained that, in 2023, tourist businesses had been allowed to import Jas...