Ceylon Chamber Signs Trade Pact With Unioncamere
The memorandum of understanding aims to build direct business ties between Sri Lanka and Italy through trade promotion, investment and collaboration.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Openings & Closings
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Unioncamere, the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, to create a framework for direct engagement between the two countries' business communities. The agreement covers trade promotion, investment opportunities and business collaboration.
Why it matters
The pact gives Sri Lankan businesses a structured new route into the Italian market and gives Italian firms a counterpart for investment and trade in Sri Lanka. It follows more than a year of engagement initiated by Daminda Mulgama with Unioncamere.
The agreement is the product of more than a year of engagement between the two chambers, though no financial figures were disclosed. Key quantitative commitments such as trade volume goals or investment targets remain unstated.
The players
Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is a Sri Lankan business organization that represents the country's commercial sector in international trade relations.
Unioncamere
Unioncamere is the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, a national body coordinating the country's local chambers of commerce.
Shiran Fernando
Shiran Fernando is Secretary General and CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
Andrea Prete
Andrea Prete is President of Unioncamere, the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce.
Satya Rodrigo
Satya Rodrigo is Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Italy, representing the country's diplomatic interests in Rome.
The details
The signing took place at Unioncamere headquarters in Piazza Sallustio, Italy, with Italian diplomatic mission representatives attending in person. Sri Lankan representatives from the Ceylon Chamber, SLITBC and the Sri Lankan diplomatic mission joined virtually from Sri Lanka.
Timeline
More than a year before signing: Daminda Mulgama began discussions with Unioncamere, including a visit to its headquarters in Italy.
Signing date not specified: the Ceylon Chamber and Unioncamere signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
Market Landscape
The MoU positions Sri Lankan businesses to access Italian markets through a chamber-to-chamber channel rather than only through government-to-government diplomacy. It extends Unioncamere's model of linking national business communities to trade and investment promotion.
Sri Lankan exporters and Italian investors may see new business-matchmaking and delegation opportunities once the chambers announce concrete programs. No direct change to consumer prices or product availability has been reported.
The takeaway
Businesses interested in the Italian market can watch for B2B matchmaking and delegation events planned under this framework. Early engagement with chamber networks is a practical way to test demand before committing to larger ventures.
Further reading
For more deals and partnership announcements of this kind, browse Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by DailyNews.
