India Becomes Sri Lanka’s Second-Largest Export Destination During January-April 2026

India overtook the United Kingdom to emerge as Sri Lanka’s second-largest export destination during January-April 2026, according to data released by the Export Development Board on Monday. The United States continued to remain Sri Lanka’s largest export market.

The board stated that exports to India increased by 8.9 per cent to $ 364.15 million during the January-April 2026 period. However, exports to India registered a marginal year-on-year decline of 1.41 per cent in April 2026.

Sri Lanka’s combined merchandise and services exports reached $ 1,380.93 million in April 2026, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 6 per cent. Merchandise exports rose 9.87 per cent to $ 1,063.77 million, while earnings from services exports were estimated at $ 317.16 million during the month.

On a cumulative basis, Sri Lanka’s total exports for the January-April 2026 period were estimated at $ 5,784.38 million, recording growth of 4.3 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2025.

Among merchandise exports, coconut-based products recorded strong performance in April 2026, with export earnings increasing by 23.49 per cent year-on-year. Activated carbon, one of the key value-added coconut shell-based export products, registered a 58.32 per cent increase to $ 20.55 million in April 2026.

In the services sector, information and communication technology and business process management exports reached $ 146.09 million, while financial services exports increased by 19.41 per cent to $ 6.82 million.

The report also noted a decline in apparel and textile export earnings, which fell 4.88 per cent year-on-year to $ 346.67 million in April 2026.

According to the board, the decline was driven by a 2.71 per cent reduction in shipments to the United States and a 9.21 per cent contraction in exports to the European Union. Exports to the United Kingdom also declined by 16.08 per cent, contributing to the overall sector slowdown.

Tea exports declined by 6.82 per cent to $ 100.02 million in April 2026. Exports to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya and the UAE recorded declines of 48.62 per cent, 6.68 per cent, 55.42 per cent and 75.34 per cent, respectively.

The United States, which accounts for around 22 per cent of Sri Lanka’s total merchandise exports, recorded year-on-year growth of 3.15 per cent to $ 196.37 million in April 2026.

However, cumulative exports for the January to April 2026 period declined by 2.09 per cent to $ 945.76 million compared to the same period in 2025.