US Lifting Ban on Sri Lankan Coir Exports a Boost to Geo Textile Industry of World’s Largest Exporter of Coir Fibre

24th February 2012, www.island.lk

In a new boost to Sri Lanka’s geo-textile industry and Sri Lanka’s standing as the world’s largest exporter of coir fibre, a top US government agency has cleared the way for Sri Lankan made geo-textiles for two projects, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced yesterday.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has waived its restrictions on use of foreign coir mats in US for Sri Lankan mats. The general restrictions for foreign coir mats have been imposed under the ‘Buy American requirements’ but US has specifically allowed Sri Lankan mats for two selected projects.

The US EPA has allowed Sri Lankan and Indian made coir mats to be used in two riverbank restoration projects in Ohio.

The project specific waivers are extended to the Bear Creek Restoration Project in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and the Laurel Creek Restoration Project in Twinsburg, Ohio.

"This is a project-specific waiver and only applies to the use of the specified product for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded projects being proposed...The coir woven mats under consideration are manufactured in India and Sri Lanka and meet the projects’ technical specifications and requirements," the US EPA said.

Sri Lanka produces 35percent of the world’s natural coir output. Almost all the coir fibre produced here are natural with no synthetic fibre produced. 90percent of coir exports are in raw form.

The raw coir is exported to UK, France, Germany, India and China.

According to the Export Development Board (EDB) the export revenue from coir based products from January to October 2011 stood at US$ 51 million. Export revenue from raw coir during the same period stood at US$ 39.7 million. Around 200 coir mills are in operation in rural Sri Lanka mostly operating in primitive working conditions with out-dated technology. The industry is also faced with labour migration to other jobs and it has become difficult to get new recruits, the ministry said.

Image: Riverbank erosion close to the road in Bear Creek tributary in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, USA. The US has temporarily lifted a ban Sri Lanka coir exports to facilitate two riverbank restoration projects.

Related Info :

• Sri Lanka Coir Fibre Exports Increased Sharply in 2009 due to Demand from China

Sri Lanka Coir Fibre Exports Increased Sharply in 2009 due to Demand from China

21st April 2011, www.dailynews.lk, By Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Raw fibre exports has increased sharply in 2009 due to the increased demand mainly from China.

Export Development Board (EDB) Assistant Director Export W K Amarasinghe told Daily News Business that Sri Lanka has exported 144,000 metric tonnes of raw fibre to the value of USD 40,000 in 2009.

This is an increase of nearly three fold compared with the quantity exported in the year 2000 which was 50,000 metric tonnes.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has earned USD 78 million worth of foreign exchange in 2009 from exported value added coir products which include more than ten items such as coir brushes, mattresses and geo mats.

However, Sri Lanka Coir and Alike Products Manufacturers Association President Lakshan Thilakaratne said exporters of value added fibre products have faced a problem due to the shortage of fibre to meet their requirement. The problem is severe this year compared to previous years as a result of the coconut shortage. When coconut prices go up artificially the cost of production goes up resulting an increase of selling price creating problems with clients," he said. These value added coir products are exported to Far East, Western and European countries.

The industry has the capacity to expand this sector while giving a large number of employment if sufficient stocks of fibre is available and it will give an income of several folds than from raw fibre exports.

At present more than 35,000 industrialists are involved in the coir manufacturing sector which is an informal sector.

Sri Lanka is the largest row fibre exporter in the world and the exporters have to pay an additional Cess to export raw fibre.