📈 Sri Lanka Emerges as World's Top Containerised Market for US Soy Meal

• Overall Figures & Growth: Sri Lanka imported ~255,000 tons of US soybean meal in 2025 and is on track to exceed 300,000 tons in 2026. Despite growing no soy locally, Sri Lanka has become the world’s largest containerised market for US soybean meal. • Animal Feed & Poultry Sector: The national animal feed industry produces 1.3 million metric tons annually, heavily relying on imported protein meal. Around 16 local poultry producers and feed millers have signed licensing agreements for the Sustainable US Soy label, with New Anthoney’s Farms being the first in South Asia/Sub-Saharan Africa to adopt it in July 2023. • Regulatory & Trade Context: Sri Lanka permits GM soybean meal for feed, but bans whole beans. Strong domestic preference for local coconut oil over soy oil further eliminates the need for domestic soy crushing, favoring container imports for mid-sized feed millers. • Bilateral Trade Dynamics: US soybean meal exports serve as a vital input for Sri Lanka's domestic agricultural resilience, counterbalancing a heavily skewed bilateral trade relationship. In 2025, US goods imports from Sri Lanka reached ~US$ 3.1 Bn (driven by apparel & textiles and tea), while US exports to Sri Lanka totaled under US$ 370 Mn.