Hundreds of vehicles stranded as Sri Lanka Customs enforces decade-old import rule

The letter from importers challenges the official count of affected vehicles, noting that a list compiled in just hours from only three shipping agents contained over 350 vehicles imported since the ban was lifted on February 1, 2025. This contradicts information allegedly given to the ministry that only five or six such vehicles had been imported.  With demurrage costs rising daily, importers have proposed releasing the currently held vehicles subject to a post-audit verification by Customs to mitigate losses. As of now, licensed commercial banks have not been instructed to stop opening such LCs and continue to operate under what has long been considered a legitimate trade practice.   
Multiple attempts by Mirror Business to reach Sri Lanka Customs Media Head Sivali Arukgoda for a comment were unsuccessful.