Sri Lanka’s Exports Rise 7% to Nearly USD 13 Billion in First Nine Months of 2025

COLOMBO, Oct. 24     — Sri Lanka’s export earnings have grown by 7 percent year-on-year, reaching almost 13 billion U.S. dollars by the end of September 2025, driven by strong performances across both goods and services sectors, according to the Export Development Board (EDB).

Between January and September 2025, total exports amounted to 12.986 billion dollars, with September alone contributing 1.469 billion dollars — a 12.33 percent increase compared to the same month in 2024.

Merchandise exports during the first nine months rose by 7.59 percent to 10.24 billion dollars. In September, merchandise exports recorded a robust 15.02 percent year-on-year growth, totaling 1.16 billion dollars.

Services exports also posted steady growth, increasing by 4.48 percent to 2.74 billion dollars for the nine-month period. Earnings from services in September were estimated at 306.09 million dollars.

Among Sri Lanka’s top 10 export destinations, India, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UAE, Canada, France, and China all showed year-on-year growth in September 2025, as well as over the cumulative period from January to September.

The United States — Sri Lanka’s largest single export market, accounting for about 23 percent of total merchandise exports — saw a 2.84 percent decline to 238.72 million dollars in September 2025 compared to the same month last year. However, exports to the U.S. grew by 3.04 percent over the first nine months of 2025, reaching 2.25 billion dollars.

India maintained its position as Sri Lanka’s second-largest export destination, overtaking the United Kingdom. Exports to India surged by 31.7 percent in September to 87.33 million dollars, while cumulative exports for the January–September period increased by 23.09 percent, reaching 823.13 million dollars compared to the corresponding period in 2024, according to the EDB’s latest report.