Sri Lanka Trade Deficit Widens in June

2026-07-31 15:27 By Isabela Couto 1 min. read

Sri Lanka's trade deficit widened to $829 million in June 2026 from $540 million a year earlier, as import growth outpaced export gains.

The external sector continued to reflect the impact of developments in the Middle East.

Imports rose 17.3% year-on-year to $1.97 billion, driven by a 40.2% increase in fuel import expenditure, mainly due to higher spending on refined petroleum products.

Meanwhile, exports edged up 0.2% to $1.14 billion.

The services account surplus narrowed 33.8% from a year earlier to $162 million, as services outflows increased faster than inflows.

In the first half of 2026, the cumulative trade deficit widened to $5.5 billion from $3.3 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.



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Sri Lanka Trade Deficit Widens in June
Sri Lanka's trade deficit widened to $829 million in June 2026 from $540 million a year earlier, as import growth outpaced export gains. The external sector continued to reflect the impact of developments in the Middle East. Imports rose 17.3% year-on-year to $1.97 billion, driven by a 40.2% increase in fuel import expenditure, mainly due to higher spending on refined petroleum products. Meanwhile, exports edged up 0.2% to $1.14 billion. The services account surplus narrowed 33.8% from a year earlier to $162 million, as services outflows increased faster than inflows. In the first half of 2026, the cumulative trade deficit widened to $5.5 billion from $3.3 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.
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