Sri Lanka’s export earnings surpass $10 billion in first half of 2026

Sri Lanka’s export earnings surpassed US$ 10 billion during the first six months of 2026, according to the Central Bank’s latest External Sector Performance report.

Export earnings increased by 3.3% year-on-year to US$ 10.4 billion during the first half of 2026, driven by growth in merchandise exports, which rose by 6.3% to US$ 6.9 billion despite a decline in services exports.

Despite the milestone in export earnings, the country’s merchandise trade deficit widened to US$ 5.5 billion during the first half of 2026, compared to US$ 3.3 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, as import expenditure increased at a faster pace than export earnings.

The Central Bank noted that the external current account recorded a deficit of US$ 245 million during the first half of 2026, compared to a surplus in the corresponding period of last year. June alone recorded a current account deficit of US$ 149 million, marking the third consecutive monthly deficit.

Fuel imports continued to exert pressure on the external sector, with cumulative expenditure on fuel imports rising by 58.8% year-on-year to approximately US$ 3,168 million during the first six months of the year.

Meanwhile, expenditure on motor vehicle imports amounted to US$ 1,254 million during the first half of 2026.