External trade – 2nd Quarter 2025
Highlights
Total Exports
Total exports proceed for the second quarter of 2025, including domestic exports, re-exports and ship's stores and bunkers amounted to Rs 27,718 million, showing a decrease of 6.2% compared to same quarter of last year. This is mainly explained by decreases in the exports of “Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material" (-18.0%), “Miscellaneous manufactured articles" (-15.5%), “Ships' stores & bunkers" (-3.3%) and “Machinery and transport equipment"
(-0.6%), partly offset by increases in the exports of “Chemicals and related products, n.e.s." (+3.0%) and “Food and live animals" (+1.8%). Compared to previous quarter, the total exports for the second quarter of 2025 increased by 5.2%.
For the first semester of 2025, total exports increased by 1.2%, compared to the corresponding period of 2024.
Total Imports
Total imports for the second quarter of 2025 amounted to Rs 81,877 million, showing an increase of 7.4%, compared to the corresponding quarter of 2024. This is mainly due to increases in the imports of “Food and live animals" (+23.2%), “Machinery and transport equipment" (+12.0%), “Miscellaneous manufactured articles" (+10.8%) and “Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials" (+4.0%), partly offset by decreases in the imports of “Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material" (-2.7%) and “Chemicals and related products" (-2.4%). Compared to previous quarter, the total imports for the second quarter of 2025 increased by 10.7%.
For the first semester of 2025, total imports increased by 6.7%, compared to the corresponding period of 2024.
Balance of trade
The resulting trade deficit for the second quarter of 2025 worked out to Rs 54,159 million, 13.7% higher than the deficit of Rs 47,626 million of the previous quarter and 16.0% higher than the deficit of Rs 46,706 million of the corresponding quarter of 2024.
For the first semester of 2025, the trade deficit worked out to around Rs 101,785 million, 9.8% higher than the deficit of Rs 92,674 million in the first semester of 2024.
Forecast for year 2025
Based on trends and information from various sources, the forecast for year 2025 for both total exports and total imports have been maintained at the previous forecast figures.
Total exports for 2025 will be at the same level as year 2024, that is, Rs 110 billion. The total imports for 2025 will be around Rs 320 billion, 0.6% higher than the total imports of around Rs 318 billion in 2024.
The trade deficit for 2025 is forecasted at around Rs 210 billion, 1.0% higher as compared to around Rs 208 billion in 2024.
26 August 2025
