According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), the country’s external sector strengthened further in July 2025, with the current account posting consecutive monthly surpluses.
Exports: Total exports for January–July 2025 rose 6.7% y-o-y to USD 12.0 bn. Merchandise exports hit a record monthly high of USD 1.3 bn in July, narrowing the trade deficit as export growth outpaced imports.
Imports: Vehicle imports reached USD 193 mn in July and USD 668 mn in the first seven months. Terms of trade weakened as import prices grew faster than export prices.
Services & tourism: Net services inflows rose 3.3% in Jan–July to USD 2.4 bn, despite a slight dip in July. Tourist arrivals grew 6.6% y-o-y in July to 200,244, generating USD 318 mn. Tourism earnings for Jan–July stood at USD 2.0 bn, up from USD 1.9 bn last year.
Remittances: Workers’ remittances surged to USD 697 mn in July, the highest since Dec 2020.
Investments: Government securities saw net foreign inflows, while the CSE recorded net outflows.
Reserves & currency: Gross official reserves held steady at USD 6.1 bn at end-July, despite debt repayments. By end-August, the rupee had depreciated 3.3% against the US dollar.
