The Sri Lanka Tea Board announced yesterday that exports of Ceylon Tea have successfully offset a substantial portion of the country’s fuel bill owed to Iran, amounting to US $ 60 million.
Since 2011, Sri Lanka has accumulated an arrears of US $ 251 million for fuel imports from Iran.
Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Niraj De Mel said that the settlement was achieved, as exports of tea to Iran tripled during this period.
He further to mention that tea exports to Iran from January to May 2024 totalled 4.98 million kilogrammes, and it was a significant increased compared to 1.85 million kilogrammes exported during the same period in 2023.