Sri Lanka earned USD 8.4 billion from exports in the first half of 2025, a 7% increase from last year. Addressing a press briefing in Colombo, Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board (EDB) Mangala Wijesinghe said the Government is targeting 18 billion USD in exports this year, with growth of 8-10% expected in the second half. He added that a new Export Development Plan, based on the 2018-2022 National Export Strategy, will be launched by October to boost key sectors and open new markets.
Exports remain Sri Lanka’s largest foreign exchange source, contributing over 60% of inflows, ahead of tourism and remittances. Merchandise exports in the first half totalled USD 6.5 billion, with services adding USD 1.8 billion. The U.S. remained the top market, accounting for USD 1.7 billion, benefiting from recent tariff changes that favour Sri Lanka over competitors. The EDB aims to raise exports to USD 36 billion by 2030, increasing their share of GDP to 25%
