Sri Lanka world map

Trade in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was the world’s 93rd largest exporter of goods and 95th largest exporter of commercial services in 2022. Export values were $13.11 billion and $3.06 billion USD respectively. Sri Lanka’s top export category was Manufactures, followed by Clothing, and Agricultural products. In 2022, Sri Lanka’s main export destination markets for goods and services trade were to United States, United Kingdom and India, with trade representing 46.52 per cent of GDP. In terms of imports, Sri Lanka is the world’s 91st largest importer of goods and 101st largest importer of commercial services. Import values were $18.29 billion and $2.78 billion USD respectively in 2022. Sri Lanka’s top import category was Manufactures, followed by Fuels and mining products and Textiles. Leading import partners were China, India and United Arab Emirates. Sri Lanka is part of 6 different Regional Trade Agreements, including Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) and Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP).
Regional Trade Agreements Database

General Information

This section includes general information on the economy, legal system, official languages and links to additional demographic information.

Official Name

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Abbreviation

LK

Capital

Colombo

WTO Membership Date

1 January 1995

Legal System

mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law

Language

Sinhala, Tamil

Number of Time Zone(s)

1

Additional Information

Financial Information

This section includes financial information such as the currency, exchange rate lookup and local banks issuing trade finance.

Currency

Sri Lankan rupee

Exchange Rate

Google Finance Currencies

GTFP Confirming Banks

Through the IFC's Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP) bank network, local financial institutions can establish working partnerships with a vast number of major international banks in the Program that can broaden access to finance and reduce cash collateral requirements. This extends and complements the capacity of banks to deliver trade finance by providing risk mitigation on a per-transaction basis in challenging markets where trade lines may be limited.
  • Axis Bank Ltd Sri Lanka Branch - Colombo, Sri Lanka - SWIFT: AXISLKLX

  • Citibank NA Sri Lanka - Colombo, Sri Lanka - SWIFT: CITILKLX

  • Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd - Colombo, Sri Lanka - SWIFT: CCEYLKLX

  • Deutsche Bank AG Colombo - Colombo, Sri Lanka - SWIFT: DEUTLKLX

  • Habib Bank Limited Sri Lanka - Colombo, Sri Lanka - SWIFT: HABBLKLC

  • ICICI Bank Sri Lanka - Colombo, Sri Lanka - SWIFT: ICICLKLX

  • Standard Chartered Bank,Colombo Branch - Colombo, Sri Lanka - SWIFT: SCBLLKLX

Contact Information

This section includes contact information for business support organizations and national resources.

Business Support Organizations

  • Board of Investment

    Investment promotion agency

    [email protected]
  • Crowd Island Pvt

    Investment promotion agency

    [email protected]
  • Growmo Hortibiz Lanka Pvt Ltd

    SME development agency

    [email protected]
  • Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka

    Member's associations - (i.e. sector, professional, exporters)

    [email protected]
  • John Keells X

    SME development agency

    [email protected]

    https://johnkeellsx.com ›

  • Northern Chamber of Information Technology

    Chamber of commerce

    [email protected]
  • Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies

    Member's associations - (i.e. sector, professional, exporters)

    [email protected]
  • Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies

    Member's associations - (i.e. sector, professional, exporters)

    [email protected]

    https:// https://slasscom.lk

  • Sri Lanka Export Development Board

    Trade promotion organization (TPO)

    [email protected]
  • StartupX Foundry

    SME development agency

    [email protected]
  • The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

    Chamber of commerce

    [email protected]
  • Yarl IT Hub

    Regional organization (i.e. Regional secretariat )

    [email protected]

Government MSME Agency

  • Ministry of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion: SME Policy Unit

Industrial Property Offices

  • National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka

SPS Enquiry Points

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) enquiry points are government agencies designated to answer questions about trade requirements.
  • Dr Lakshman Gamlath
    Deputy Director General, Environmental Health,Occupational Health & Food Safety
    Ministry of Health
    Phone: +(94 11) 267 2004
    Website: http://www.health.gov.lk

    No. 385 Rev. Baddegama Wimalawansa Thero Mawatha

    [email protected]

TBT Enquiry Points

Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) enquiry points are government agencies designated to answer questions about trade requirements.
  • Director General
    Sri Lanka Standards Institute
    Phone: (+94 11) 2671574
    Website: http://www.slsi.lk

    17, Victoria Place
    Elvitigala Mawatha
    Colombo 08

    [email protected]

Additional Information

ePing alert

Links to other helpful resources

This section includes additional links to trade-related resources.

National Tariff Finder

https://www.customs.gov.lk/customs-tariff/import-tariff/

Trade Information Portal

https://srilankatradeportal.gov.lk/

Last Reviewed: June, 2024

Businesses & Entrepreneurs

Find a concise overview of key aspects of international trade for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises with our Businesses & Entrepreneurs Guides.

Policymakers & Researchers

Find a concise overview of key aspects of trade and MSME-related policymaking with our dedicated library of Policymakers & Researchers Guides.

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Simplify your market research with an integrated source of trade intelligence, for firms of all sizes, even the smallest. The Global Trade Helpdesk, an initiative by the International Trade Centre, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the World Trade Organization, provides market intelligence for companies looking to trade in an easy-to-use online tool.