This report is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the report’s authors at CCC and PARTNER and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S Government.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global and local economic trajectory. As Sri Lanka’s economy seeks to emerge stronger out of this pandemic, an emphasis will need to be placed on supporting exports, which demonstrated an initial recovery in the June-August 2020 period. In this light and with the reopening of the economy post May, it is important to understand the firm level perspective from exporters on how they are now confronting and overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19 and their perspective on the future direction of exports, labour and the economy. This report is the second in an assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on Sri Lankan Exporters conducted by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the USAID/PARTNER (Partnership for Accelerating Results in Trade, National Expenditure and Revenue) Activity.

The survey also provides a timely comparison with the results of the first survey conducted in May 2020 which captured firm responses during the lockdown period. The survey results would aid policymakers in better understanding the export recovery and identify gaps to provide policy support for exporters as well as aid the private sector to put forward proposals. The report is structured as follows: the survey methodology will be explained first, followed by the key insights from the survey, the next section of the report will present the findings from the survey. The findings will include the general respondent details, changes in export business due to COVID-19, changes in employment, business facilitation measures by the Government during the lockdown period, and business and economic outlook.