Sri Lanka’s export earnings surge to nearly USD 13B in first 9 months of 2025
October 23, 2025 02:40 pm
Sri Lanka’s export sector has demonstrated resilience and steady growth during the first nine months of 2025, recording total earnings of US$ 12,986.52 million, the Export Development Board (EDB) stated.
This reflects a strong 7% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2024, the EDB said in its latest report.
In September alone, the total exports, comprising both merchandise and services reached US$ 1,469.75 million, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 12.33 % over September 2024.
The merchandise exports also grew by 15.02 % year-on-year, reaching US$ 1,163.66 million, according to provisional data of Sri Lanka Customs including the estimates for Gems & Jewellery and Petroleum Products.
For the period January to September 2025, merchandise exports totaled US$ 10,240.52 million, reflecting 7.59 % increase compared to the same period in 2024.
In September, earnings from services exports were estimated to be US$ 306.09 million.
Meanwhile, among the top 10 export destinations, India, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, UAE, Canada, France and China recorded year-on-year growth in September 2025 as well as during the cumulative period from January to September 2025.
The United States, Sri Lanka’s largest single export destination accounting for 23% of the country’s merchandise exports, had decreased by 2.84 % to US$ 238.72 million in September 2025 compared to September 2024. However, exports to the United States increased by 3.04 % over the cumulative period from January to September 2025, reaching US$ 2,251.85 million.
India has continued as Sri Lanka’s second-largest export destination, surpassing the United Kingdom. Exports to India increased by 31.7 % to US$ 87.33 million in September, while cumulative exports from January to September 2025 increased by 23.09 %, reaching US$ 2,251.85 million compared to the same period in 2024, the EDB confirmed in its latest report.
