Lankan garments team puts off US visit
A delegation of officials from Sri Lanka's garments industry has postponed a planned trip to the United States this month until the policies of the new government are clearer this week.

The team from the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) led by JAAF Chairman Ashraff Omar was to visit Washington and some southern states to promote the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Sri Lanka and the US on April 26. The FTA is seen as a crucial step towards minimising the impact on the phasing out of textile quotas in the US.

The quota regime ends in December 2004 affecting mainly medium and small garment factories in Sri Lanka. Omar said he was not sure whether the visit would take place now. "We will have to look at the new industrial policies of the government." Other industry sources said that the FTA is unlikely to be a reality in the next 12 to 18 months.

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