📈 Sri Lanka Exports Surpass US$ 7.3 Bn in Jan–May 2026

Sri Lanka’s external sector showed strong recovery momentum during the first five months of 2026, driven by robust broad-based growth in both merchandise and services sectors based on provisional data. • Overall Performance Total cumulative exports (Jan–May 2026): US$ 7,393.39 Mn (+7.56% YoY). Merchandise exports: US$ 5,758.44 Mn (+7.63% YoY). Services exports: US$ 1,634.95 Mn (+7.31% YoY). May 2026 Total: US$ 1,570.64 Mn, reflecting a strong 18.34% YoY surge. • Key Sector Growth (Jan–May 2026) Electrical & Electronic Components: Surged 51.79% to US$ 253.88 Mn. Food & Beverages: Grew 26.63% to US$ 293.16 Mn (processed food up 49.32%). ICT/BPM: Estimated at US$ 751.53 Mn (+21.74%), vital for high-skilled employment and diversification. Coconut-based Products: Rose 20.45% to US$ 515.17 Mn (Activated Carbon up 45.53%). Seafood (+19.2% to US$ 105.49 Mn) and Rubber-based products (+4.84% to US$ 404.7 Mn). • Sectors Under Pressure (Jan–May 2026) Apparel & Textiles: Declined 4.84% to US$ 2,033.39 Mn due to weak US and EU demand, despite a May rebound (+6.66% to US$ 414.72 Mn). Tea: Dropped 4.62% to US$ 581.91 Mn, dragged down by a 42.32% contraction in Middle Eastern shipments. Spices & Essential Oils: Slipped 3.28% to US$ 167.95 Mn (Pepper fell 45.56%). • Top Markets & Regions USA: Remaining the largest market, up 10.87% in May (US$ 240.23 Mn) and +0.28% cumulatively (US$ 1,185.99 Mn). India: Second-largest market; cumulative exports rose 7.95% to US$ 442.33 Mn. Turkey: Exceptional cumulative growth of 106.28% YoY, powered by a 150.17% surge in tea demand. European Union: Accounted for 25.5% of merchandise exports, expanding 13.36% cumulatively.