"The European Union imposed an embargo on November 5 last year the United States had then imposed an economic embargo on Iran making it difficult to obtain dollar settlements. Some 32 million kilograms of tea are exported to Iran annually. This volume has now fallen by about 10 million kilograms," he said to Daily Mirror.
Mr. Wijewardena said Iran was the fourth larges purchaser of Sri Lankan tea.
He said earlier Sri Lanka bought crude oil in exchange for the tea, but with the EU and US-imposed embargo our exporters are finding it extremely difficult for tea exporters to obtain payment.
