COLOMBO, Aug 11: A Sri Lankan lawmaker has urged the Parliament not to take lightly the impact of the US’ tariffs on Delhi, stressing that India was the only country to extend critical assistance to the island during its worst economic crisis, a media report said on Monday.
Speaking in Parliament, Harsha de Silva de Silva defended New Delhi’s opposition to what he called US President Donald Trump’s “unfair and selective” trade measures.
“Don’t laugh at India. Don’t mock them when they are down because when we were down, they were the only ones to lend us a hand,” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror. “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings. We witnessed you laughing. Don’t laugh. India expected the tariffs to come down to 15%, and so did we.”
Sri Lanka’s 2022 financial collapse left fuel stations dry, food and medicine in short supply and foreign reserves depleted, forcing its first-ever debt default.
India emerged as Colombo’s largest supporter, providing over USD 4 billion in credit lines, currency swaps and deferred loan repayments, as well as multiple shipments of humanitarian aid.
President Trump on Wednesday slapped an additional 25 per cent duty – doubling it to 50 per cent – on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil. (PTI)
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