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 to $ 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.
Notably, tea exports to UAE, Turkey, Russia and Iran recorded significant increases of 25.57%, 22.82%, 19.3% and 52.73% respectively.
In products with negative growth or recorded decreases in exports, apparel and textiles slightly decreased by 0.84% y-o-y to $ 506.86 million in August, compared to August 2024.
Export earnings from rubber and rubber finished products decreased by 16.23% y-o-y to $ 86.95 million in August, with the negative performance in exports of pneumatic and retreated rubber tyres and tubes (-21.31%) and industrial and surgical gloves of rubber (-4.48%).
Exports of spices and essential oils also decreased by 20.54% to $ 41.35 million in August, largely driven by a sharp decline in pepper exports to India, which decreased by 84.3%.