External trade – 1st Quarter 2026
Highlights
Total Exports
Total exports (including ship's stores and bunkers) for the first quarter of 2026, amounted to
Rs 25,107 million, showing a decrease of 4.1% compared to Rs 26,175 million in the corresponding quarter of 2025. This is mainly explained by decreases in “Machinery and transport equipment" (-33.8%), “Miscellaneous manufactured articles" (-21.7%), “Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material" (-16.3%) and “Ship's Stores and Bunkers" (-2.2%), partly offset by increases in “Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.." (+15.1%) and “Food and live animals" (+13.7%).
Total exports for the first quarter of 2026 decreased by 5.4% compared to the previous quarter.
Total Imports
Total imports for the first quarter of 2026 amounted to Rs 70,691 million, showing a decrease of 3.3% compared to Rs 73,138 million in the corresponding quarter of 2025. This is mainly due to decreases in “Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material" (-11.1%), “Mineral fuels, lubricants & related products" (-9.7%), “Machinery & transport equipment" (-7.7%) and “Miscellaneous manufactured articles" (-4.0%), partly offset by increases in “Food and live animals" (+14.1%) and “Chemicals and related products n.e.s." (+5.8%).
Total imports for the first quarter of 2026 decreased by 18.2% compared to the previous quarter.
Balance of trade
The resulting trade deficit for the first quarter of 2026 worked out to Rs 45,584 million, 23.8% lower than the deficit of Rs 59,856 million of the previous quarter and 2.9% lower than the deficit of Rs 46,963 million of the corresponding quarter of 2025.
Forecast for year 2026
Based on trends and information from various sources, the forecast of total exports for 2026 is estimated at around Rs 105 billion, 2.8% lower than the total exports of around Rs 108 billion in 2025. The total imports is maintained at around Rs 320 billion, 1.6% higher than the total imports of around Rs 315 billion in 2025.
The trade deficit for 2026 is forecasted at around Rs 215 billion, 3.4% higher as compared to around Rs 208 billion in 2025.
