Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
NEWSLETTER_EN06/September/2017 SEPTEMBER 2017
A delegation from Sri Lanka led by Foreign
Minister Thilak Marapana and Deputy
Minister of National Policies and Economic
Affairs Harsha de Silva is to discuss enhancing
trade opportunities with the European Union
in Brussels, Belgium.
The team yesterday met with a number of
members of the European Parliament, who
have also supported Sri Lanka with its
application for GSP Plus.
“We are making good progress and we are here to meet with the EU Foreign Minister also to discuss
greater trade opportunities. The EDB is continuing to undertake trade promotion activities in major
EU cities and the GSP Plus benefits will begin to show up in the industrial export figures by next
year. In areas like fish, export numbers have already gone up significantly,” de Silva said.
The duo is also set to meet EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, Frederica Mogherini, for discussions on further
strengthening the partnership with the EU on both political and economic matters, the Deputy
Minister revealed.
The delegation from Sri Lanka will also include Sri Lankan Ambassador to Belgium Rodney Perera.
Source: Daily FT (Tuesday, 26 September 2017)
Ministerial team in Brussels to discuss trade
opportunities with EU
Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of Hungary in
New Delhi visited ECCSL
The Senior Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of
Hungary Mr. Zsolt Pakozdy visited the European
Chamber of Commerce premises on 25th September
2017. The visit comes at a time when Hungary looks
forward to expanding its business presence in Sri Lanka.
The Government of Hungary does not have a direct
diplomatic presence in Colombo however the Embassy
of Hungary in New Delhi India is accredited to Sri Lanka
hence trade and investments activities are monitored and
promoted through the New Delhi office.
Mr. Pakozdy expressed interest in further consolidating
the existing trade and investments between Sri Lanka and
Hungary. Hungary has expressed interest in the
infrastructure projects mooted by
The Megapolis Ministry and the discussions centered on
the future cooperation between Embassy of Hungary
and ECCSL.
Hungary is a landlocked country in central Europe with
an industrial economy. Its main export income is derived
from machinery and transport equipments, consumer
goods, agricultural products, chemicals and iron and
steel.
Mr. Pakozdy was met by Mr. Arnold Perera, Vice
President ECCSL, Mr. John Wilson Director and In-
house Legal Counsel, ECCSL, Mr. Srinath Fernando
General Manager and Mr. Dilshan Nawanjana Asst.
Manager Trade & Investments of ECCSL.
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian
Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its
defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi
Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the
victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear
for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the
occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and
forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's
"perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in
1991 and Austria's entry into the EU in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A
prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
IMPORTANT FACTORS
Conventional long Name Republic of Austria
Population: 8,754,413 (July 2017 est.)
Capital: Vienna
GDP - per capita (PPP) $48,000 (2016 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.5% (2016 est.)
Exports: $144.3 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and
parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods,
chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners: Germany 30.5%, US 6.6%, Italy 6.4%, Switzerland
5.5%, France 4.1% (2015)
Imports: $149.1 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles,
chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products,
natural gas; foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Germany 37.2%, Italy 6.2%, China 5.9%,
Switzerland 5.3%, Czech Republic 4.3% (2015) Source: World Factbook
Explore Europe - Austria
26%
33%
41%
Sri Lanka's Imports
2014 2015 2016
36%
33%
31%
Sri Lanka's Export
2014 2015 2016
ECONOMY OVERVIEW
Austria, with its well-
developed market economy,
skilled labor force, and high
standard of living, is closely
tied to other EU economies,
especially Germany's. Its
economy features a large
service sector, a relatively
sound industrial sector, and a
small, but highly developed
agricultural sector.
Economic growth has been
relatively weak in recent years,
approaching 0.9% in 2015, but
rising to 1.4% in 2016.
Austria's 5.8% unemployment
rate, while low by European
standards, is at its highest rate
since the end of World War II,
driven by an increased
number of refugees and EU
migrants entering the labor
market. Without extensive
vocational training programs
and generous early retirement,
the unemployment rate would
be even higher.
Although Austria's fiscal
position compares favorably
with other euro-zone
countries, it faces several
external risks, such as
unexpectedly weak world
economic growth threatening
the export market, Austrian
banks' continued exposure to
Central and Eastern Europe,
repercussions from the Hypo
Alpe Adria bank collapse,
political and economic
uncertainties caused by the
European sovereign debt
crisis, the current refugee
crisis, and continued unrest in
Russia/Ukraine. The budget
deficit stood at 1.4% of GDP in
2016 and public debt reached a
post-war high of 86.2% of the
GDP in 2015.
BILATERAL TRADE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SRI LANKA AND AUSTRIA
The bilateral trade relations between Sri Lanka and Austria, the volume stands at US$ 126.6 million
(Austria’s exports to Sri Lanka = 100 US$ million and imports from Sri Lanka to Austria = US$ 26.6
million). The main exports from Sri Lanka to Austria are Sports items, Apparel, Machinery and
Agricultural products. Austrian exports products are in the sectors of Machinery, Dairy products and
Fiber. In 2016, Austrian arrivals grew 20% year on year to 16,995 tourists.
SRI LANKA'S TOP TEN EXPORTS TO AUSTRIA
Product
code
Product label Sri Lanka's exports to Austria (USD ‘000)
Value in 2014 Value in 2015 Value in 2016
'TOTAL All products 30,285 28,256 26,693
'95 Toys, games and sports requisites; parts and
accessories thereof
8,828 8,093 8,902
'61 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories,
knitted or crocheted
8,364 8,216 6,408
'85 Electrical machinery and equipment and
parts thereof; sound recorders and
reproducers, television ...
2,225 1,388 3,184
'62 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories,
not knitted or crocheted
1,880 1,580 1,815
'33 Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery,
cosmetic or toilet preparations
382 446 1,334
'40 Rubber and articles thereof 4,375 3,335 1,305
'08 Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or
melons
272 620 1,024
'88 Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof 1,304 903 639
'09 Coffee, tea, maté and spices 728 2,195 520
'20 Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other
parts of plants
130 116 229
SRI LANKA'S TOP TEN IMPORTS FROM AUSTRIA
Product
code
Product label Sri Lanka's imports from Austria (USD ‘000)
Value in 2014 Value in 2015 Value in 2016
'TOTAL All products 62,103 81,204 99,982
'84 Machinery, mechanical appliances, nuclear
reactors, boilers; parts thereof
6,952 6,673 34,379
'55 Man-made staple fibres 22,943 43,225 27,480
'85 Electrical machinery and equipment and
parts thereof; sound recorders and
reproducers, television ...
3,665 4,226 10,247
'04 Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey;
edible products of animal origin, not
elsewhere ...
5,202 7,245 6,970
'30 Pharmaceutical products 1,861 2,516 5,094
'48 Paper and paperboard; articles of paper
pulp, of paper or of paperboard
4,906 4,191 4,389
'22 Beverages, spirits and vinegar 1,456 1,942 2,100
'90 Optical, photographic, cinematographic,
measuring, checking, precision, medical or
surgical ...
1,388 1,394 1,702
'39 Plastics and articles thereof 8,015 2,731 1,404
'17 Sugars and sugar confectionery 5 - 925
Source: Trademap
Source: Trademap
“Sri Lanka and Austria enjoy very fruitful relations
which have been intensifying for the last years which
is also shown by various official visits, first and
foremost the visit of His Excellency, the President of
Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena. I would like to
congratulate Sri Lanka for its tremendous steps forwards in infrastructure and business
development within the last years. Austria is a strong partner for Sri Lanka within the
European Union and we are looking forward to deepening our cooperation further.”
Dr. Oskar Andesner
Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian
Embassy
The bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka-Austria
Council Decision (EU) 2017/1790 of 25 September 2017 on
the position to be taken, on behalf of the European Union,
within the Cooperation Council established by the
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the
European Communities and their Member States, of the
one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part,
with regard to the adoption of the EU-Armenia
Partnership Priorities
Direct text access: pdf
Council Decision (EU) 2017/1789 of 25 September 2017
abrogating Decision 2009/415/EC on the existence of an
excessive deficit in Greece
Direct text access: pdf
Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1782 of 28 September
2017 establishing a prohibition of fishing for bluefin tuna
in the Atlantic Ocean, east of 45° W, and Mediterranean by
vessels flying the flag of Portugal
Direct text access: pdf
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1781 of
28 September 2017 on the derogations from the product-
specific rules of origin laid down in the Comprehensive
Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada of the
one part, and the European Union and its Member States,
of the other part, that apply within the limits of annual
quotas for certain products from Canada
Direct text access: pdf
Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1783 of 28 September
2017 establishing a prohibition of fishing for mackerel in
areas IIIa and IV; Union waters of IIa, IIIb, IIIc and
Subdivisions 22-32 by vessels flying the flag of Belgium
Direct text access: pdf
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1778 of
29 September 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 891/2009
as regards certain provisions concerning the first sub-
period of the 2017/2018 import tariff quota period in the
sugar sector and the full-time refiners' regime
Direct text access: pdf
Corrigendum to Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1561 of 14
September 2017 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP
concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions
undermining or threatening the territorial integrity,
sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ L 237,
15.9.2017)
Direct text access: pdf
Council Decision (EU) 2017/1779 of 29 May 2017 on the
position to be taken on behalf of the European Union
within the Association Council set up by the Euro-
Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association
between the European Communities and their Member
States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of
the other part, with regard to the adoption of a
recommendation on the EU-Egypt Partnership Priorities
Direct text access: pdf
Political and Security Committee Decision (CFSP)
2017/1780 of 18 September 2017 on the appointment of the
Head of Mission of the European Union CSDP mission in
Mali (EUCAP Sahel Mali) (EUCAP Sahel Mali/1/2017)
Direct text access: pdf
Commission Implementing Decision of 29 September 2017
on the publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union of the single document referred to in Article 94(1)(d)
of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European
Parliament and of the Council and of the reference to the
publication of the product specification for a name in the
wine sector [Monor, Monori (PDO)]
Direct text access: pdf
Regulation (EU) 2017/1566 of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 13 September 2017 on the introduction of
temporary autonomous trade measures for Ukraine
supplementing the trade concessions available under the
Association Agreement
Direct text access: pdf
This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
By Mr. Suprio Bose
Director Trade & Investment
Mumbai Office - South Asia
markets
Businesses, in a globalized and
interconnected world, are fully aware of
the need to internationalise; sending their
products and services beyond their own
borders and finding partners to help them
detect new markets. Despite the 8,500 km
that separate Catalonia and Sri Lanka,
business opportunities between both are
growing.
The Sri Lankan market is of special
interest to Catalonia due to the numerous
opportunities offered in different key
sectors for Catalan companies, such as
tourism, infrastructure and energy, with
the focus here on renewable energies. In
fact, for over 25 years Catalonia Trade &
Investment, the Catalan economic
promotion agency, has had its own office
in Mumbai, from which it locates
collaboration opportunities in all the
countries in the area. As a result, Catalan
exports to Sri Lanka in 2016 increased by
42.5%, in sectors such as machinery, paper
and cardboard, and perfumery and
cosmetics. At present, 340 Catalan
companies export to Sri Lanka.
Catalonia, located in north-eastern
Spain, has 7.5 million inhabitants and is
considered one of southern Europe’s main
hubs, thanks to its strategic location, a
common characteristic it shares with Sri
Lanka. It has a strongly ingrained and
diversified industrial tradition, a sector
that concentrates 21% of the Catalan GVA.
One of the sectors of special note is that of
food and drink, concentrating the bulk of
Catalan exports abroad (12.3% of the total)
and one that is open to more collaboration
opportunities.
In 2016, Catalonia’s export volume
stood at 65,000 million euros. According to
last year’s figures, there are 48,035
exporting companies in Catalonia, and
9,000 subsidiaries of Catalan companies
abroad. Regarding foreign investment in
Catalonia, the Financial Times names
Catalonia southern Europe’s most
attractive region for 2017. In fact, last year,
the region totaled a figure of 4,857 million
euros, mainly concentrated in sectors such
as manufacturing (28%), ICT (25%), agri-
food (13%) and automotive (13%). At
present, there are 7,086 international
companies in Catalonia.
One field especially relevant for
Catalonia, and where its business
ecosystem concentrates significant efforts,
is innovation. Catalonia, with only 0.1% of
the world's population, is responsible for
1% of global scientific production, and has
some 9,500 innovative companies.
Furthermore, the region hosts
infrastructures such as the Mare Nostrum
supercomputer or the Alba Synchrotron,
southern Europe’s first particle accelerator.
In fact, in Catalonia more than half of the
companies innovate, a trend on the rise
year after year.
It is, therefore, particularly
significant that Barcelona is the second
smart city in the world (behind Singapore),
according to Juniper Research. The role of
the capital is a clear example of Catalonia's
strong commitment to adopt smart
solutions for urban management, with a
substantial amount of initiatives and
projects.
The information and
communication technology (ICT) sector
employs 81,800 workers in Catalonia
(representing 2.6% of the total Catalan
workforce), encompassing over 12,800
companies (almost 2% of the total number
Catalonia and Sri Lanka:
undiscovered opportunities await…
of Catalan companies). With a vigorous
mix of consolidated companies and new
business ventures, Catalonia enjoys a large
pool of highly skilled workers. Moreover,
between 2010 and 2016, Catalonia was the
second region of the Southern Europe in
terms of attracting more foreign
investment ICT projects, especially
relevant when it comes to meeting the
needs of smart cities.
The smart city ecosystem in Catalonia is
made up of around 270 companies (84% of
which are based in Barcelona), which in
2015 reached an aggregate turnover linked
to the smart city sector of almost 7,000
million euros, representing 3% of the
Catalan GDP. These figures are from a
study prepared by Catalonia Trade &
Investment, which for the first time deeply
analyses the role of this sector in Catalonia.
The smart city sector offers
opportunities for different types of
companies: ranging from those still
without a smart presence in Catalonia, to
others showing high technological
development or who have already
participated in international projects in this
field. The segments with the greatest
potential in this field are the
environmental, lighting, mobility, facility
management, telecommunications, data
integration platforms, Big Data analytics
and city operating systems. This is an
evolving sector and with growth potential
for large cities around the world, and one
which is generating increasingly greater
interest among companies in a wide range
of sectors.
In terms of specific local initiatives,
Catalonia is home to several smart sector
bodies. ACCIÓ promotes projects in this
field, but what is also noteworthy is the
role of organized clusters, universities,
technology centres, fairs and international
networks, among other players. In this
sense, the Barcelona Smart City Expo
World Congress is the leading
international encounter in the field of
urban development and technological
revolution. The event connects cities,
regions and territories with leading smart
sector companies and experts to promote
the exchange of knowledge and
experiences on an international level. Some
of the sectors that offer more opportunities
in terms of innovation in Catalonia are
those linked to energy, mobility, ICT
infrastructure integration and data
management. Furthermore, Catalonia also
benefits from policies linked to this area, as
in the case of Horizon 2020.
Upcoming International Events
Smart City Expo World Congress is a 3 day event being held from 14th November to the 16th
November 2017 at the Gran via Exhibition Centre in Barcelona, Spain. Smart City Expo World
Congress is a grand show of its kind which will have 118 companies on the same platform who will
get a fabulous opportunity to display all their goods and services from the related sector. This event
will provide the exhibitors a center stage with the help of which the participating companies will
promote their goods well and it is expected that they will reach out to large number of potential
customers and clients not only in the region but all round the world. Smart City Expo will serve as a
place of information exchange between the exhibitors and the visitors and by visiting the fair, the
attendees will definitely get to collect all relevant information about the trade.
For more details, please visit http://www.smartcityexpo.com
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Business Beyond Borders (BBB)
If you are interested to take part, please inform us: [email protected]
For more details: http://www.businessbeyondborders.info
About Business Beyond Borders (BBB)
The European Commission (EC), has launched a new initiative called “Business Beyond
Borders” which aim to create connections between Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
and Clusters from around the world, and foster opportunities for international
collaborations.
Tailor-made services are provided to companies participating at international fairs by
establishing a series of free of charge matchmaking events and by supporting the
development of the companies’ activities in target markets.
BBB Matchmaking Event at HostMilano 2017
The event will take place on 20 – 21 October 2017 at FieraMilano Exhibition Centre. The
aim of the event is to create a quick and easy way for businesses, actively engaged within
the field of food and hospitality, to meet potential partners and to operate internationally.
Are you an exhibitor showcasing your products and want to organise your agenda?
Are you a professional visitor attending the fair and want to get the most of your
time?
Are you interested in having information on EU initiatives to support you going
international?
Business Beyond Borders is an initiative funded by the European Commission
and coordinated by EUROCHAMBRES