Sri Lankan bans some imports

Sri Lanka banned a wide range of imports Sunday as the local currency is hammered by a monthlong lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The three-month ban on imports will apply to essential raw materials used by local industries, as well as luxury goods -- including cosmetics, chocolates and foreign liquor -- a government notice said Sunday.

The Sri Lanka rupee has lost nearly 10 per cent of its value against the US dollar in the past two months as tourism -- a key foreign exchange earner for the country has collapsed, and a sharp fall in expatriate worker remittances.

In March, the government banned the import of cars and luxury vehicles for three months as part of efforts to save foreign reserves, as authorities urged international lenders for a debt repayment moratorium.