Sri Lanka current forex inflows US$504mn above imports in Nov

In November 2025, Sri Lanka experienced a positive foreign exchange balance, with inflows from exports, remittances, and gross services surpassing imports by 504 million US dollars, according to official data.

During this period, Sri Lanka’s exports amounted to 1,047 million US dollars, a decrease from October’s 1,149 million US dollars. Similarly, remittances saw a reduction, falling to 673 million US dollars in November, down from 712 million US dollars the previous month.

Conversely, gross services recorded an increase, reaching 560 million US dollars compared to 495 million dollars in October. This figure includes significant tourism revenues, which contributed 251 million US dollars. On the other hand, services outflows rose to 290 million US dollars, with travel abroad estimated at 97.8 million US dollars, up from 49 million US dollars in October.

Overall, the total gross current inflows for November were 2,282 million US dollars, which exceeded import values by 504 million US dollars. Notably, there was a decline in intermediate imports, particularly in the apparel sector, which serves as a crucial input for exports. Apparel imports dropped to 203.2 million dollars from 257 million dollars in October.

The overall intermediate imports decreased from 1,161 million US dollars in October to 952 million in November.