Sri Lanka has imposed a ban on importing goods that are extracted, produced, or manufactured, wholly or partly, under forced labour, according to regulations published in a gazette notification, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday.

The regulations, issued on July 10, state that the competent minister will determine the goods, entities, or countries to which the regulations apply, 'taking into account the decisions of the International Labour Organization'.

It is noted that the United States Trade Representative had proposed in June to impose tariffs on imports from Sri Lanka due to the use of goods manufactured under forced labour.

U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer said in a statement at the time that 'the failure of our most important trading partners to address the import of goods produced under forced labour is unacceptable, as it creates a situation where American workers are forced to compete globally under unequal conditions'.

He added: 'We will no longer allow this unequal situation to continue.'