• No release for late salt imports: Customs
• Govt. refuses post-facto approvals
• Abandoned cargo awaiting re-export 

More than 1,500 containers of imported salt remain stuck at Sri Lanka’s ports after importers violated a gazette-mandated import deadline, with Sri Lanka Customs and the Ministry of Trade both maintaining that the consignments cannot be released under existing law and must instead be re-exported, unless legally deemed abandoned under port regulations.

Sri Lanka Customs Spokesperson Chandana Punchihewa told The Sunday Morning that no containerised salt had been confiscated but confirmed that a large number of consignments had breached the conditions of a gazette notification that permitted salt imports only within a strictly defined time window.

“There are more than 1,500 containers in the harbour that have been cleared by importers but are now in violation of a gazette notification. That gazette permitted salt imports only within a specific time period. For consignments imported after the deadline, the gazette clearly mandates re-export,” Punchihewa explained.

He explained that Customs was unable to take enforcement action beyond detention, as importers had failed to comply with the re-export requirement and had effectively abandoned the goods.

“The importers are not re-exporting because it would incur additional costs, and the original sellers are unlikely to accept the return. Since these consignments are abandoned and the Government has clearly stated that they will not be released, no Customs duties or harbour damages can be charged,” he said.

Punchihewa noted that under existing law, port and Customs charges could only be imposed once an importer formally took possession of goods. “Damages are collected only when an importer takes delivery. In this case, that has not happened,” he said.

Asked what action could be taken, Punchihewa said responsibility lay with the Import Controller, not Customs. “The gazette was issued by the Import Controller, and it clearly states that violating consignments must be re-exported. If importers do not comply, the Import Controller may have the authority to re-export the goods, though charges to the port and shipping lines would still need to be settled,” he said.

He added that although the issue had been discussed at the ministerial level, Customs lacked the legal mandate to act independently. “There was discussion suggesting Customs should take action, but at present we have no legal provision. There was a proposal to revive the gazette to give Customs that authority, but that has not happened yet,” Punchihewa said.

Clarifying reports of confiscation, Punchihewa said that only one separate bulk shipment of salt, not containerised cargo, was under Customs investigation due to alleged document forgery. “In this case, documents appear to have been falsified to show the cargo was loaded before the deadline, but evidence suggests the ship was not even at the loading port by that date,” he said, adding that the import permit had been issued to one company while another entity had acted as the importer.

A court case filed by a third party was currently pending, and a fresh special inquiry had been ordered by the Director General of Customs, Punchihewa said.

The Customs position comes amid mounting criticism over large-scale salt imports in 2025, when more than 143,655 MT were imported until September 2025 under emergency measures introduced after prolonged rains disrupted domestic salt production in key saltern areas. The Government had permitted the importation of salt from 15 May to 10 June 2025.

Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Co-operative Development Secretary K.A. Vimalenthirarajah firmly rejected calls for post-facto approvals, saying the issue reflected a recurring pattern of regulatory abuse.

“The problem is that these containers are stagnant in the harbour, and the importers are not even seeking their release. We cannot have a bureaucracy that acts in violation of regulations. Importers were clearly informed about the import window and clearance procedures,” he stressed.

Vimalenthirarajah said it had become common for some importers to breach regulations and then seek political intervention to legitimise the violation. “There is a pattern where they import in violation, then seek approvals from various ministers to rectify it. You cannot correct one wrong with another,” he said.

He stressed that the existing gazette already provided a remedy for violations. “The gazette notification clearly states what must be done: re-export. Any other solution would require a new gazette. Why should we issue another notification just to correct a wrong, especially when this is unprocessed, raw salt?”

Asked whether a policy decision would be taken to resolve the impasse, Vimalenthirarajah said discipline had to prevail. “I doubt it. If we want a disciplined society, a wrong must remain a wrong,” he said.

Addressing concerns about congestion at ports, he said existing laws already provided a mechanism to deal with abandoned cargo. “Under Customs regulations, goods not collected within a specified period can be treated as abandoned. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has legal provisions and can seek Cabinet guidance on disposal. We don’t need new laws; we need to enforce the laws we already have,” he said.

Vimalenthirarajah also warned against pressure tactics aimed at forcing regulatory leniency. “Singapore became a model country because it followed discipline. Here, people do wrong and then try to use the media to pressure authorities. If the rules say the bill of lading must be dated by a particular deadline, that is final,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Trade R.M. Jayawardana said the Government had taken no new decisions on salt imports and reiterated that approvals were strictly time-bound. “We allowed imports for a limited time due to shortages. What did not arrive within that period has come much later. Now there is abundant salt in the market,” Jayawardana said.

He said importers who had anticipated windfall profits during the shortage would not be allowed to dictate prices. “Those prices are no longer applicable. If any salt is released, it must be sold at local production-based rates,” he said.