Sri Lanka’s exports surge to USD 8.3 billion in first six months of 2025
July 28, 2025 12:56 pm
Sri Lanka’s total exports during the first six months of 2025 have reached USD 8,337.86 million, marking a robust 6.70 % growth compared to the same period in 2024, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has highlighted.
Total exports, including both merchandise and services reached USD 1,460.34 million in June 2025.
This is an impressive year-on-year growth of 8.73% over June 2024, highlighting the strength of Sri Lanka’s export sector and the effectiveness of ongoing strategies to broaden market reach and improve global competitiveness, the CBSL stated.
In June 2025 alone, merchandise exports grew by 6.85 % year-on-year, reaching USD 1,150.73 million, according to provisional data of Sri Lanka Customs including the estimates for Gems & Jewellery and Petroleum Products.
For the period January to June 2025, merchandise exports totaled USD 6,504.72 million, reflecting 5.86% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, services exports have emerged as a key driver of overall export growth. In June 2025, earnings from services exports estimated to be USD 309.61 million. Over the first six months of the year, services exports are estimated to have increased by 9.78 %, totaling USD 1,833.14 million. This trend highlights the rising importance of Sri Lanka’s knowledge-based economy and its growing contribution to national export earnings, the CBSL said.
Meanwhile, among the top 10 export markets, the United Kingdom, India, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, and France have shown positive growth in both June 2025 and the cumulative period of January to June 2025 compared to the corresponding periods in 2024, the CBSL said.
The United States, Sri Lanka’s single largest export destination, which absorbs 23% of Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports, slightly decreased by 0.73 % to USD 252.34 million in June 2025 compared to June 2024. However, exports to the United States over the cumulative period from January to June 2025 increased by 4.61%, reaching USD 1,434.99 million.
Exports to the United Kingdom increased by 22.38% to USD 91.64 million in June 2025 compared to the same month in 2024. During the cumulative period from January to June 2025, exports to the UK recorded a growth of 6.92%, reaching USD 483.93 million compared to the corresponding period in 2024.
India has continued as the Sri Lanka’s second-largest export destination, surpassing the United Kingdom. Exports to India increased by 9.23% to USD 95.88 million in June 2025, while cumulative exports from January to June 2025 surged by 26.54 %, reaching US$ 505.62 million compared to the same period in 2024, the Central Bank added.
