Peradeniya University’s Postgraduate Studies Division in Humanities and Social Sciences Director Professor Wasantha Athukorala said that Sri Lanka has recorded over US$ 18 billion in foreign exchange earnings in the first eight months of 2025, accompanied by a current account surplus every month from January to August, signalling a strong turnaround in the country’s external reserves.
Accordingly, he added that the nation’s merchandise exports, construction services, maritime, and air transport sectors generated around US$ 11.5 billion by the end of August, with total export earnings estimated to have reached nearly US$ 13 billion by September.
“In addition to exports, substantial inflows came from tourism and workers’ remittances, contributing approximately US$ 2.2 billion and US$ 5.1 billion, respectively. Combined, these inflows pushed total foreign exchange earnings beyond US$ 18 billion,” he said.
Professor Athukorala said that the sustained current account surplus, a measure of transactions with the rest of the world, is a significant development. “In August, the surplus stood at around US$ 370 million, while March recorded the highest monthly surplus of roughly US$ 400 million.”
He added that while exports have supported this growth, imports have also risen moderately, driven in part by the relaxation of vehicle import restrictions, which allowed for a more flexible approach to car imports.
