Sri Lanka earned an estimated US$13.61 billion from exports of goods and services in the first nine months of 2026, up 5.04% from US$12.96 billion a year earlier, the Export Development Board (EDB) said on 26 October. September alone brought in US$1.69 billion, which Daily FT describes as the highest monthly figure on record. The headline hides a split: electronics, spices and processed food are growing fast, while apparel and tea, the two biggest traditional earners, are shrinking.
The numbers, as of 26 October 2026
| Measure | Jan-Sep 2026 | Change on a year earlier | September 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total exports | US$13.61 bn | +5.04% | US$1.69 bn | +17.23% |
| Merchandise (goods) | US$10.76 bn | +5.35% | about US$1.38 bn | +21.66% |
| Services | US$2.85 bn | +3.88% | US$306.17 mn | +0.67% |
The goods and services figures add up to the total (10.76 + 2.85 = 13.61). The EDB's data combine provisional Customs figures with its own estimates, so the numbers can be revised. September goods exports appear as US$1.38 billion in EconomyNext and Daily FT and US$1.39 billion on the EDB's release; the difference is rounding.
Who is pulling the total up and who is dragging it down
The EDB publishes nine-month values and year-on-year percentages for each sector. Working backwards from those two numbers gives the dollar change each sector contributed. These are calculations from the published figures, not numbers the EDB printed.
| Sector | Jan-Sep 2026 | Change | Approx. dollar change | Share of goods exports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic components | US$508.9 mn | +61.05% | +US$193 mn | 4.7% |
| Spices and concentrates | US$430.5 mn | +30.53% | +US$101 mn | 4.0% |
| Processed food and beverages | US$526.3 mn | +20.90% | +US$91 mn | 4.9% |
| Rubber-based products | US$773.9 mn | +8.44% | +US$60 mn | 7.2% |
| Coconut-based products | US$942.5 mn | +3.68% | +US$34 mn | 8.8% |
| Seafood | US$180.8 mn | -2.03% | -US$4 mn | 1.7% |
| Tea | US$1,083.6 mn | -6.83% | -US$79 mn | 10.1% |
| Apparel and textiles | US$3,783.8 mn | -5.68% | -US$228 mn | 35.2% |
Goods exports as a whole rose by roughly US$540 million over the nine months (US$10.76 billion against US$10.22 billion). Apparel and textiles alone gave back about US$228 million of that, so the five growing sectors above had to add roughly US$480 million to produce the net gain. Electronics components were the largest single contributor, though they are still less than an eighth the size of apparel.
Inside the categories, the EDB and Daily FT report that apparel itself fell 5.36% to US$3.51 billion and textiles fell 9.66% to US$270 million. In tea, tea bags rose 53.39% and instant tea 9.85%, while bulk tea fell 11.13% and packets fell 4.42%. Daily FT also reports that tea sent to the Middle East fell 34.22% over the nine months, with shipments to the United Arab Emirates down 59.66%, Iran down 65.80% and Iraq down 47.72%, and it cites Middle East tensions as a factor raising costs for exporters.
Where the goods are going
The United States remains the largest buyer. Its nine-month purchases were US$2.25 billion, up just 0.05%, though September alone rose 18.06% to US$281.84 million. India is now the second-largest destination: US$889.84 million over nine months (+12.3%) and US$113.22 million in September (+29.65%). The United Kingdom moved the other way, down 9.33% to US$654.36 million over nine months. Turkey nearly doubled (+94.01% to US$218.24 million) from a small base.
Can the year reach US$20 billion?
Daily FT reports a 2026 target of US$20 billion for total exports. Reaching it requires US$6.39 billion in the last three months, an average of about US$2.13 billion a month. That is about 26% above September's record US$1.69 billion. The same article gives the EDB chairman Mangala Wijesinghe's view that the sector should "sustain this growth momentum", and it states an annual goods target of over US$18 billion alongside an expected US$15.7 billion without reconciling the two. Simple arithmetic shows the scale of the gap: three more months at September's record pace would take the year to about US$18.7 billion (13.61 + 3 x 1.69). That is a projection from published figures and not an EDB forecast.
What this means for people in the trade
For a small exporter, the useful reading is which side of the split you are on. A firm selling spices, rubber goods, packaged food or components is operating in segments the data show growing 8% to 61%. An apparel or bulk tea business is in segments shrinking 5% to 11%, and exposed to the Middle East slowdown in the case of tea. The EDB's monthly release at srilankabusiness.com lists the sector and market figures, and is the place to check a specific product line.
Recheck your year-end plan when the ten-month figures land
The EDB published the nine-month figures about 26 days after the end of September, so the ten-month release is likely in late November. A target of US$20 billion needs the last quarter to average about 26% above the best month on record. Exporters who budgeted on that target should compare their plan against the ten-month figures when they appear, and decide then whether to keep it.