Sri Lanka’s January-August export earnings reach $ 11.55 billion
The Morning: Sri Lanka’s export sector recorded total earnings of $ 11,554.32 million between January-August.
This reflects a 6.61% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2024.
In August alone, total exports, comprising both merchandise and services reached $ 1,607.58 million, recording a 2.57% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth over August 2024.
Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Mangala Wijesinghe said: “This encouraging growth highlights Sri Lanka’s increasing integration into global trade and the success of our continued efforts to strengthen export competitiveness while diversifying market opportunities. Our exporters have once again demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability in navigating evolving global challenges.”
Exports exceeded $ 1.6 billion in August, with cumulative earnings to over $ 11.6 billion during the first eight months of 2025.
In August, merchandise exports grew by 5.13% y-o-y, reaching $ 1,294.83 million, according to provisional data of Sri Lanka Customs including the estimates for gems and jewellery and petroleum products.
For the period January-August, merchandise exports totalled $ 9,092.85 million, reflecting a 6.89% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, services exports have emerged as a key driver of overall export growth. In August, earnings from services exports were estimated to be $ 312.75 million.
Over the first eight months of the year, services exports are estimated to have increased by 5.57%, totaling $ 2,461.46 million. This trend highlights the rising importance of Sri Lanka’s knowledge-based economy and its growing contribution to national export earnings.
The services export sector, comprising ICT/BPM, Construction, Financial services, and Transport and Logistics, continues to diversify Sri Lanka’s export portfolio and create high-value employment opportunities across the Island.
In products and services with positive growth, tea made up 12.8% of merchandise exports, having increased by 8.73% y-o-y to $ 141.94 million in August compared to August 2024.
This increase is mainly due to the strong performance in the export of Tea Packets (6.37%), Bulk Tea (11.95%) and Instant Tea (30.63%).
In addition, the volume of tea exports increased by 7.29% in August compared to the same month in 2024.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s exports industry has recorded a steady growth through the years, even during periods when the country has faced economic challenges, showing the strength, resilience and growth of the industry. Reasons for this strength and resilience in Sri Lanka’s exports industry could be attributed to the many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the country with many foreign countries, the improving ease of doing business environment in the country and the incentives offered to foreign businesses/investors offered by the local authorities. Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean has also made it convenient for local exports to gain easy access to foreign markets. Given the expansion in the global marketplace, Sri Lanka’s exports authorities are also engaged in promotional campaigns and programmes to encourage local exporters to add more value and diversify their existing export product portfolio to meet the growing global demand. All these factors clearly indicate the increasing business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka that present lucrative business ventures to foreign businesses/investors. Sri Lanka’s exports industry and related sectors also present opportunities for foreign businesses/investors to expand operations through local collaborations.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20251002/Z_1 |