Sri Lanka Bans Palm Oil Imports

Sri Lanka on April 5 announced an import ban on palm oil, a commodity that environmentalists say leads to deforestation. The ban took “immediate effect,” Sri Lanka said. Its customs authorities will no longer clear cargo containing palm oil. The country also banned domestic cultivation of palm oil. “When this is fully operational, the government intends to stop the cultivation of oil palm and the consumption of palm oil completely,” the release said.