Sri Lanka-USA Business Council Marks Ten Years of Bilateral Business Engagement

The Council’s 10th Annual General Meeting brought together its office-bearers, invited guests and members of the business community. Photograph: The Economic Times LK, credited to Daily News.

The Sri Lanka–USA Business Council (SLUSABC), operating under The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, marked its 10th Annual General Meeting on 14 October 2026 at Hilton Colombo Residences. The meeting reflected on a decade of business engagement between Sri Lanka and the United States and set out the Council’s priorities for the year ahead.

The occasion brought together business representatives and two diplomatic guests: Eric Meyer, Ambassador of the United States of America to Sri Lanka, and Mahinda Samarasinghe, former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States. Their attendance accompanied a review of the Council’s work and a discussion of practical ways to strengthen commercial connections between the two countries.

As the Council enters its next year of activity, its stated priorities include trade policy, two-way investment, and wider engagement with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and young entrepreneurs. That combination is significant for businesses seeking to understand opportunities across both markets, as well as for Sri Lankan readers abroad who follow the country’s commercial links.

Leadership for the 2026/2027 term

Tilak Gunawardana, Group Director and Chief Financial Officer of MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, was re-elected President for the 2026/2027 term. The other office-bearers appointed for the year are Randeewa Malalasooriya of CBL Natural Foods (Pvt) Ltd as Senior Vice President, Tuan Farhath Armith of Fanam International (Pvt) Ltd as Vice President, and Halin Hettigoda of Sampath Bank PLC as Treasurer.

Former Council President Dr. Asanka Ratnayake was conferred Honorary Membership in recognition of his longstanding service. The recognition acknowledged his contribution to the Council’s work, while the re-election and appointments established the leadership team responsible for carrying forward the organisation’s programme during the coming year.

For a business council, continuity in leadership can provide a useful platform for sustained engagement with companies and institutions. The Council’s work, as described at the AGM, is directed towards helping businesses understand developments that affect trade and investment, connecting firms with relevant opportunities, and promoting conditions that allow commercial relationships to develop over time.

A year of engagement and practical support

Reviewing the Council’s activities over the past year, Gunawardana highlighted its engagement on United States tariff developments and its efforts to connect Sri Lankan businesses with investment opportunities through SelectUSA. He also referred to initiatives intended to strengthen intellectual property protection and support emerging entrepreneurs.

These areas address different but related aspects of business growth. Information about tariff developments can help companies assess the commercial environment in which they operate, while connections to investment programmes can introduce businesses to opportunities beyond their home market. Intellectual property protections, meanwhile, are relevant to firms seeking to develop and safeguard products, designs, services and ideas.

Gunawardana stressed the importance of consistent policies and a predictable trade framework, noting that businesses need these conditions to plan, invest and expand. For companies considering cross-border activity, clarity can support decision-making over time: businesses must assess the circumstances in which products and services can be developed, protected and taken to market.

The Council’s stated interest in emerging entrepreneurs adds another dimension. New and growing businesses may need opportunities to learn about overseas markets, investment pathways and the commercial protections relevant to their work. By supporting entrepreneurs alongside established firms, the Council’s programme can help broaden the range of businesses able to participate in bilateral engagement.

Illustrative image: AI generated based on the source article.

Ambassador highlights areas for commercial cooperation

Ambassador Meyer commended the Council’s efforts to foster a stronger business environment and advance intellectual property protections. He underscored their importance in attracting United States investment and expanding bilateral trade.

In his remarks, Meyer identified technology, energy, infrastructure and logistics as areas with potential for deeper commercial cooperation. He also encouraged Sri Lankan businesses to explore investment opportunities in the United States, including through the upcoming SelectUSA Investment Summit.

The Ambassador emphasised transparent and predictable regulations, strong intellectual property rights and fair competition as important elements in building investor confidence and creating lasting economic opportunities for both countries. His comments, as reported at the AGM, focused on the business environment and the practical conditions that can support commercial engagement.

The areas identified span a range of business activity. Technology and energy are among the sectors the Council will explore, while infrastructure and logistics are also relevant to the movement of goods and the development of commercial links. The Council’s year-ahead focus on ports and logistics, renewable energy and education adds further areas for discussion and potential business engagement.

Illustrative image: AI generated based on the source article.

A wider opening for SMEs and young entrepreneurs

For the coming year, the Council will focus on trade policy and two-way investment while exploring opportunities across energy, ports and logistics, technology, renewable energy and education. It also plans to widen its engagement with SMEs and young entrepreneurs, helping more businesses explore opportunities in both markets.

That commitment is an important feature of the Council’s next phase. Expanding engagement beyond larger or well-established companies could make information and business connections more accessible to a wider range of Sri Lankan enterprises. SMEs and early-stage ventures may have products, services or expertise suited to overseas markets, but they can benefit from clearer routes to understand those markets and the frameworks in which they operate.

The Council’s focus on two-way investment also signals that commercial engagement is not intended to be limited to one direction. Sri Lankan businesses are being encouraged to consider opportunities in the United States, while the Council’s broader work aims to support investment and trade connections between the two countries. The AGM did not announce specific investment outcomes; rather, it set out priorities and areas for continued exploration.

For Sri Lankan businesses, stronger commercial links may create avenues to seek new customers, partners and investment opportunities. For job seekers, the potential value lies in the possibility that business growth and expansion can support demand for skills and services. These are prospective benefits, not guarantees, and depend on how firms and institutions turn engagement into viable activity.

Illustrative image: AI generated based on the source article.

A decade of engagement, with work still ahead

The 10th Annual General Meeting offered an occasion to recognise a decade of Sri Lanka–United States business engagement and to identify the Council’s next areas of focus. Its programme combines trade policy and two-way investment with sectoral opportunities and a deliberate plan to engage more SMEs and young entrepreneurs.

For readers in Sri Lanka and abroad, the Council’s work is relevant because commercial connections can influence how businesses explore markets, build partnerships and plan for growth. The AGM’s emphasis on predictable frameworks, intellectual property protection and fair competition reflects the practical considerations raised in the meeting, while its year-ahead priorities indicate where the Council intends to direct its efforts.

The next stage will be measured not only by the breadth of its agenda, but by how effectively companies of different sizes can access useful connections and pursue opportunities in both markets. By continuing to bring businesses together and widening participation, the Council can help make a decade of engagement a foundation for further commercial cooperation.

Source: The Economic Times LK. Sri Lanka–USA Business Council marks ten years of bilateral business engagement (credited to Daily News).

This article was written based on the source https://economictimes.lk/index.php/2026/10/23/sri-lanka-usa-business-council-marks-ten-years-of-bilateral-business-engagement/, kindly email us at info@eLanka.com.au if any information needs to be corrected.

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