A Confederation of Regional and Sectoral Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Trade Associations, Employer Organizations and Bilateral Business Councils

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was established on March 25th, 1839, when Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon was under the British rule. The then Governor, the Rt. Hon. J A Stewart Mackenzie, was keenly interested in promoting agriculture and trade in Ceylon. It was on his initiative that the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was formed.

A meeting was held on February 20th 1839 by a considerable number of the mercantile community favourable to the establishment of a Chamber of Commerce in the island of Ceylon. It was unanimously resolved as a preliminary measure that five of the gentlemen present should be requested to form a Committee for framing an estimate and drawing up certain rules and regulations, which when submitted and approved might form the ground work of the institution.

The General Meeting of thirteen representatives of the mercantile community was held on March 25th, 1839 at the Corner House of Prince Street. With the adoption of the rules and regulations of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the first Chamber was established in Sri Lanka.

Subsequently in 1895 the Chamber was incorporated by the then Legislative Council under the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Ordinance No. 10 of 1895.

Some of the activities of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce:

	Making representations on behalf of its members on business matters
	Conducting of Tea, Rubber, Spices and Allied products Auctions
	Issuing publications on Trade
	Export and Investment promotion through inbound and outbound missions
	Operating computerised information service
	Assisting visiting businessmen to make contacts in Sri Lanka
	Issuing Business Opportunities Bulletins
	Certifying and issuing Commercial Documents such as Certificates of Origin
	Issuing quality surveys for exports
	Issuing letters of introduction to members traveling abroad on business
	Maintaining a computerised reference and lending Library
	Operating an arbitration, conciliation and mediation service to reduce commercial disputes
	Exchanging information with Chambers of Commerce in other countries
	Assigning of product identification Numbers (Barcodes)