By Dwayne Ferreira.
Sri Lanka’s export earnings in 2026 crossed US$9 billion as electronics, ICT, food, seafood and coconut exports record strong growth.
Sri Lanka export earnings 2026 crossed US$9 billion during the first six months of the year, marking a major milestone for the country’s external sector.
The Export Development Board said combined merchandise and services exports reached an estimated US$9.012 billion between January and June. That represented an 8% increase from the US$8.338 billion earned during the corresponding period of 2025.
Merchandise exports generated US$7.073 billion, rising 8.95% year on year. Meanwhile, services exports contributed US$1.939 billion, recording growth of 4.49%.
The estimates draw on provisional Sri Lanka Customs figures, along with calculations for gems and jewellery, petroleum products and services. The services category includes ICT and business process management, construction, financial services, transport and logistics.
Apparel And Tea Record First-Half Declines
However, the headline growth concealed weaker performances in two of Sri Lanka’s most important export industries.
Apparel and textile earnings fell 6.07% to US$2.442 billion. Shipments declined amid softer demand in the United States, European Union and United Kingdom.
Tea export earnings also dropped 5.69% to US$700.8 million. Spices and essential oils recorded a marginal decline during the six-month period.
India emerged as one of the fastest-growing destinations for Sri Lankan goods. Exports to India increased 36.16% to US$688.47 million. Exports to China also grew, while the United States remained the largest single merchandise export market, accounting for about 22% of the total.
The milestone follows Sri Lanka’s June launch of its National Export Development Plan 2026–2030. The programme targets US$36 billion in annual export revenue by 2030 through diversification, stronger value addition and deeper global links.
Still, export growth alone does not remove external-sector pressure. The Central Bank reported that the merchandise trade deficit widened to US$3.7 billion during January–April 2026, compared with US$2.3 billion a year earlier, because imports grew faster than exports.
Sri Lanka export earnings 2026 signal progress, but sustaining the momentum will require continued growth in emerging sectors and a recovery in apparel and tea.
