Cabinet Seeks Parliamentary Approval for New Scrap Metal Export and Prepayment Import Rules

The compliance framework for Sri Lankan international trade is tightening. The Cabinet of Ministers has officially approved a proposal to seek parliamentary backing for Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 05 and No. 06 of 2026 (originally gazetted under Extraordinary Notifications No. 2493/03 and 2493/39). This legislation introduces mandatory export control licenses for scrap metal products to protect local industrial manufacturing inputs, alongside stricter arrival timelines for goods imported under prepayment systems.

For compliance managers and industrial warehouse operations, this change means tracking strict timeline dependencies. Under the prepayment system amendments, imported goods must physically arrive in Sri Lanka within specific, tight windows (ranging from 180, 365, to 730 days of payment depending on classification). Supply chain teams must update their milestone tracking tools to ensure all inbound cargo matches these new government deadlines to avoid heavy legal penalties or unexpected port clearance blocks.

Source: EconomyNext — Sri Lanka to seek parliament nod for new scrap metal export, import rules – July 8, 2026