Sri Lanka records highest-ever monthly merchandise exports in September

EconomyNext and Newswire report that Sri Lanka earned a record amount from merchandise exports in September 2026, with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s data showing a 21% increase from September 2025. EconomyNext gives the total as US$1,377 million, while Newswire rounds it to US$1.37 billion. Both reports say this exceeded the previous monthly peak, US$1.302 billion, recorded in July 2025.

EconomyNext reports that industrial exports grew 27.7% year on year. Petroleum product exports rose 130% to US$149.9 million, and machinery and mechanical appliances exports increased 72% to US$70 million. The outlet says growth in petroleum re-exports was supported by maritime transshipment and bunkering demand, while machinery exports benefited from regional manufacturing supply chains.

For January through September, merchandise export earnings reached US$10.75 billion. EconomyNext reports growth of 5.4%, while Newswire reports 5.3%. Newswire also says September services exports increased 11.2% to US$559 million, but services earnings for the first nine months fell 0.6% to US$5.26 billion. Combined goods and services exports reached US$1.94 billion in September, up 18% year on year, according to Newswire.

Newswire reports that the merchandise trade deficit for the first nine months widened to US$7.9 billion from US$5.2 billion a year earlier, as imports rose 21.3% to US$18.67 billion. It says the monthly deficit narrowed, however, to US$731 million in September from US$910 million a year earlier.

EconomyNext says Sri Lanka’s export growth faces constraints including a narrow export mix, high energy and logistics costs, trade barriers, limited integration into global supply chains, delays in investment approvals and restricted capital for advanced research and development.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.