The Government has issued a Gazette notification permitting the import of selected rice varieties to address an anticipated shortage of Samba and Keeri Samba rice in the local market.

The move was announced under the Imports and Exports (Control) Regulations No. 3 of 2026, issued through Gazette Extraordinary No. 2482/12 by Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Under the new regulations, importers are allowed to bring in GR 11 rice, including varieties such as Ponni Samba and Kiri (Paal) Ponni, which have been identified as suitable substitutes for locally consumed Samba and Keeri Samba rice.

To expedite supply, the Government has relaxed standard import procedures by exempting these consignments from the Import Control Licence (ICL) requirement.

However, the Gazette specifies that the on-board date indicated on the Bill of Lading must fall between 2 April and 30 April. In addition, all imported stocks must be cleared through Sri Lanka Customs on or before 31 May.

A cap has also been imposed, limiting each importer to a maximum of 1,040 metric tons.

The decision follows Cabinet approval granted on 30 March, based on a joint proposal submitted by the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade.

The Controller General of Imports and Exports is expected to issue further operational instructions to the Director General of Customs and licensed banks to facilitate the implementation of the measure.