India has overtaken the United Kingdom to become Sri Lanka’s second-largest export destination, with exports to India recording a 12.3% year-on-year increase during the first nine months of 2026, according to the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB).
Exports to India reached US$ 889.84 million between January and September 2026, strengthening its position as Sri Lanka’s second-largest export market after the United States.
In September alone, Sri Lanka’s exports to India increased by 29.65% compared with the corresponding month in 2025, reaching US$ 113.22 million.
Meanwhile, exports to the United Kingdom declined by 9.33% during the first nine months of 2026 to US$ 654.36 million. September exports to the UK also fell by 3.17% to US$ 71.71 million.
The United States remained Sri Lanka’s largest single export destination, with cumulative exports reaching US$ 2.25 billion during January–September 2026, a marginal increase of 0.05% year-on-year.
According to the EDB, Sri Lanka’s total exports reached US$ 13.61 billion during the first nine months of 2026, recording a 5.04% increase compared with US$ 12.96 billion during the corresponding period in 2025.
Merchandise exports increased by 5.35% to US$ 10.76 billion, while services exports grew by 3.88% to US$ 2.85 billion.
The EDB said the growth across several key international markets highlighted the importance of expanding Sri Lanka’s export destinations and strengthening competitiveness in global trade. (Newswire)