According to the latest report released by the Economic Research Department of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, export earnings from the textile and garment sector—one of Sri Lanka’s key export industries—declined during the first four months of 2026.
Textile and garment export earnings amounted to USD 1,624.7 million during the period from January to April 2026, compared to USD 1,751.8 million recorded during the corresponding period in 2025. This represents a decrease of 7.3 percent.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s total export earnings for the first four months of 2026 recorded a marginal increase, rising to USD 4,534.9 million from USD 4,315.6 million in the same period of 2025.
However, import expenditure increased significantly during the same period, rising to USD 8,227.9 million in 2026 from USD 6,572.9 million in 2025. This reflects a 25.2 percent increase, driven by a 32.8 percent rise in consumer goods imports, a 24.1 percent increase in intermediate goods imports, and a 19.8 percent increase in investment goods imports.
As a result, the trade deficit widened to USD 3,693 million during the January–April 2026 period, primarily due to the faster growth in import expenditure compared to export earnings.
