The Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), previously named as the Bangkok Agreement, was signed in 1975 as an initiative of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). This is the oldest preferential trade agreement among developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The APTA member countries cover a total population of about 2.5 billion, which is a vast potential market to increase the level of intra-regional trade flows among the participating states.
APTA aims to promote economic development through the adoption of mutually beneficial trade liberalization measures that will contribute to intra-regional trade expansion and provides for economic integration. Sri Lanka is one of the founder members of the Bangkok Agreement and the APTA.
With the name change to the APTA in 2005, this Regional Trade Agreement was mandated for expansion of coverage to other areas of cooperation such as Promotion, Protection and Liberalization of Investment, trade facilitation and trade in services in addition to the negotiation in trade in goods.
Four round of negotiations have been concluded so far and DoC together with other Gov. entities is currently engaged in the Standing Committee (SC) Sessions and Working Group meetings on Investment, Trade Facilitation, Services and Rules of Origin under the fifth round of APTA negotiation.
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APTA - at a glance
| Date of signing of the agreement | Date of coming into effect | Members | Negotiation approach | Products coverage |
| 2nd November 2005 |
01st September 2006 | Bangladesh, China, India, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR,Mongolia and Sri Lanka. |
Positive List | 10,461 |
Rules of Origin Criteria (RoO) under APTA applicable to Sri Lanka – at a glance
|
Wholly obtained products |
Not Wholly obtained products With Sufficient working or processing |
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General Rule |
Cumulative Rule |
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45% < DVA
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60% < RAC
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Statistical Analysis
| Country | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Export | Import | Export | Import | Export | Import | Export | Import | Export | Import | |
| China | 184.49 | 24.12 | 166.86 | 8.01 | 164.65 | 9.26 | 156.42 | 21.14 | 183.79 | 28.24 |
| South Korea | 50.66 | 0.03 | 53.57 | 0.02 | 46.35 | - | 46.21 | - | 45.22 | 0.01 |
| Bangladesh | 2.24 | - | 3.36 | - | 2.35 | 0.01 | 6.31 | - | 4.48 | - |
| India | 1.22 | 0.07 | 1.36 | 0.06 | 0.82 | 0.11 | 0.84 | 0.02 | 0.74 | 0.31 |
| Total | 238.61 | 24.22 | 225.16 | 8.09 | 214.17 | 9.38 | 209.78 | 21.16 | 234.23 | 28.56 |
| HS Code | Description | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Share in 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0902 | Tea, whether or not flavored. | 59.63 | 48.59 | 56.38 | 55.23 | 51.43 | 21.96% |
| 61+62 | Apparel and clothing accessories | 70.83 | 68.71 | 58.60 | 49.40 | 50.42 | 21.53% |
| 380210 | Activated carbon | 28.67 | 29.37 | 25.92 | 32.81 | 49.71 | 21.22% |
| 530500 | Coconut (coir): Moulded products for use in horticulture | 30.38 | 27.70 | 20.32 | 24.37 | 22.67 | 9.68% |
| 140490 | Vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included | 0.41 | 0.20 | 0.32 | 2.30 | 10.83 | 4.62% |
| 740321 | Copper alloys: Copper-zinc base alloys (brass) | 3.20 | 1.74 | 5.93 | 5.60 | 8.14 | 3.47% |
| 030389 | Other fish, excluding livers and roes: Other | 4.78 | 4.34 | 3.68 | 4.08 | 5.83 | 2.49% |
| 401519 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories (incl. gloves, mittens and mitts), of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber | 6.74 | 6.97 | 5.01 | 4.55 | 5.65 | 2.41% |
| 400129 | Natural rubber, balata, gutta-percha, guayule, chicle and similar natural gums, in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip | 3.50 | 3.99 | 2.01 | 2.76 | 4.20 | 1.79% |
| 401290 | Retreaded or used pneumatic tyres of rubber; other | 2.82 | 4.60 | 7.86 | 5.35 | 4.02 | 1.72% |
| 030743 | Molluscs, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked molluscs, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process | 3.22 | 4.37 | 7.82 | 3.52 | 3.75 | 1.60% |
| Other exports | 24.43 | 24.57 | 20.31 | 19.80 | 17.59 | 7.51% | |
| Total exports under APTA | 238.61 | 225.16 | 214.17 | 209.78 | 234.23 | 100.00% | |
| HS | Description | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change in 2025 over 2021 (%) | Share in 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61+62 | Apparel and clothing accessories | 19.81 | 23.68 | 16.67 | 17.67 | 14.23 | -19.45% | 31.47% |
| 380210 | Activated carbon; activated natural mineral products; animal black, including spent animal black | 7.87 | 5.70 | 6.14 | 8.79 | 10.98 | 24.85% | 24.27% |
| 401519 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories (incl. gloves, mittens and mitts), of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber | 5.84 | 6.94 | 4.92 | 4.55 | 5.65 | 23.97% | 12.48% |
| 530500 | Coconut, abaca (manila hemp or musa textile nee), ramie and other vegetable textile fibres, raw or processed but not spun; tow, noils and waste of these fibres | 5.18 | 3.67 | 3.49 | 4.59 | 5.27 | 14.95% | 11.66% |
| 0902 | Tea | 1.63 | 2.34 | 2.24 | 1.84 | 1.93 | 4.79% | 4.27% |
| 401290 | Retreaded or used pneumatic tyres of rubber; solid or cushion tyres, tyre treads and tyre flap, of rubber | 1.67 | 2.47 | 5.35 | 3.03 | 1.29 | -57.50% | 2.84% |
| Other | 8.66 | 8.77 | 7.53 | 5.74 | 5.88 | 2.42% | 13.00% | |
| Total | 50.66 | 53.57 | 46.35 | 46.21 | 45.22 | -2.14% | 100.00% | |
| HS | Description | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change in 2025 over 2021 (%) | Share in 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0902 | Tea | 57.99 | 46.25 | 54.14 | 53.38 | 49.49 | -7.28% | 26.93% |
| 380210 | Activated carbon; activated natural mineral products; animal black, including spent animal black | 20.19 | 22.91 | 19.76 | 23.98 | 38.63 | 61.07% | 21.02% |
| 61+62 | Apparel and clothing accessories | 51.02 | 44.95 | 41.78 | 31.71 | 36.17 | 14.06% | 19.68% |
| 530500 | Coconut, abaca (manila hemp or musa textile nee), ramie and other vegetable textile fibres, raw or processed but not spun; tow, noils and waste of these fibres | 25.21 | 24.03 | 16.84 | 19.78 | 17.39 | -12.08% | 9.46% |
| 140490 | Vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included | 0.19 | 0.04 | 0.18 | 2.09 | 10.43 | 399.61% | 5.68% |
| 740321 | Refining copper and copper alloys, unwrought | 3.20 | 1.74 | 5.93 | 5.60 | 8.14 | 45.20% | 4.43% |
| 030389 | Fish, frozen, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 03.04 (+) | 4.78 | 4.34 | 3.68 | 4.08 | 5.83 | 42.62% | 3.17% |
| 400129 | Natural rubber, balata, gutta-percha, guayule, chicle and similar natural gums, in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip | 3.12 | 3.62 | 1.84 | 2.42 | 3.75 | 55.10% | 2.04% |
| 030743 | Molluscs, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked molluscs, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process | 3.22 | 4.37 | 7.82 | 3.52 | 3.75 | 6.30% | 2.04% |
| Other | 15.57 | 14.61 | 12.68 | 9.84 | 10.21 | 3.80% | 5.56% | |
| Total | 184.49 | 166.86 | 164.65 | 156.42 | 183.79 | 17.50% | 100.00% | |
| HS Code | Description | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Share in 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 852872 | Reception apparatus for television: Other | 7.58 | 0.32 | 2.03 | 7.32 | 9.55 | 33.45% |
| 841830 | Freezers of the upright type, not exceeding 800 l capacity: Other | 1.80 | 0.39 | 0.18 | 1.91 | 3.43 | 12.03% |
| 730890 | Roofing frame-works, doors and windows and their frames and thresholds for doors, shutters, balustrades, pillars and columns | 5.89 | 1.96 | 1.40 | 2.20 | 3.37 | 11.80% |
| Other imports | 8.96 | 5.43 | 5.78 | 9.73 | 12.20 | 42.73% | |
| Total imports under APTA | 24.22 | 8.09 | 9.38 | 21.16 | 28.56 | 100.00% | |
