Sri Lanka, May 4 -- The slapping of a 44 percent proportionate tax beside the 10 percent universal tax on Sri Lanka by the United Sates is a wakeup call to implement the long overdue trade reforms, restrategise trade, diversify exports, seek new markets and build strong bridges, said panelists at a trade forum in Colombo last week.

The urgent need to build bridges for vibrant trade relations with the rest of the world instead of burning bridges and revisiting all trade policies to come up with a fresh approach to global trade in a world full of uncertainties was stressed by speakers at the "Understanding the New Impact of US New Import Tariffs: Challenges and Opportunities for Sri Lankan Exporters' forum organised jointly by the Sri Lank...