Mandatory SLS testing for imported tyres from 2027 — safety win or price hike in disguise?

Cabinet has approved new regulations making Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) compliance mandatory for imported car tyres (SLS 1212) and three-wheeler tyres (SLS 1347), gazetted on 1 October 2026 and taking effect from 1 January 2027. The stated reason is consumer safety and a fair playing field for local manufacturers like Kelani Tyres, who've long argued cheap uncertified imports flood the market. One side says this is overdue — a lot of the budget tyres sold for three-wheelers and older cars have no real quality testing behind them, and tyre failure on bad roads is a genuine safety issue, not a small one. The other side says this is protectionism wearing a safety costume, and the real effect will be fewer cheap import options and higher prices for people who already can't absorb another cost right now, especially trishaw drivers running on thin margins. If you've bought imported tyres recently — what brand, what did you pay, and did it actually feel like a safety issue or just price gouging dressed up as standards? Mekata oyage opinion eka mokakda?