Sri Lanka’s apparel exports grew in 2025 despite a year-over-year dip in November, according to the latest figures recently published by Global Data.
The country saw a 5.42 percent increase in cumulative apparel exports for the first 11 months of 2025 compared with the the same period in 2024. That’s despite a 1.96 percent decrease in exports in November, down to $367.6 million from $374.94 million during the same month a year ago.
“The 5.42 percent growth in our cumulative exports for the first 11 months of 2025 reflects the resilience and adaptability of Sri Lanka’s apparel sector in navigating a challenging global environment,” said the Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka. “While we experienced a modest 1.96 percent decline in November, this should be viewed within the broader context of our strong year-to-date performance.”
Though overall November numbers were down for apparel exports from Sri Lanka, shipments to the United States grew by 5.79 percent to $152.32 million that month. And exports to the European Union—excluding the United Kingdom—increased by 3.35 percent to 119.61 million during that same period. Exports to the U.K. dropped 13.83 percent to $43.63 million, and sales to other markets declined even further by 19.44 percent to $52.04 million.
But while shipments to the U.K. were down, the rest of the E.U. was strong for apparel exports from Sri Lanka. From January to November 2025, exports to the E.U., excluding the U.K., reached $1.44 billion, a 13.07 percent increase from 2024. Exports to the U.S. ticked up 1.73 percent during the same period, to $1.77 billion, and shipments to other markets increased 5.75 percent to $742.98 million. Exports to the U.K. during the first 11 months of 2025 slipped by just 0.22 percent to $624.54 million.
Sri Lanka saw disruption during April with the Trump Administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, which slapped a 44 percent levy on exports to the U.S. from the country. The administration later walked that rate back to 20 percent in August. In October, the World Bank released a report warning that even a 20 percent tariff could shrink Sri Lanka’s garment exports to the U.S. by up to 12 percent, harming the nation’s most vulnerable apparel workers.
The U.S. is Sri Lanka’s largest single-country export customer, producing garments for fashion brands such as Calvin Klein, H&M Group, Gap, Victoria’s Secret and Nike.
The Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka said that the country’s growth in exports to the E.U. have helped alleviate those pains somewhat, and they see the modest increase in the U.S. as a promising sign that tariffs won’t eliminate demand from America.
“Particularly encouraging is our 13.07 percent growth in the E.U. market, which demonstrates the success of our strategic focus on strengthening relationships with E.U. buyers and meeting their increasingly stringent sustainability and compliance requirements,” said the Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka. “Similarly, our continued growth in the U.S. market, despite tighter margins, shows that Sri Lankan manufacturers remain competitive on quality, delivery and ethical manufacturing standards.”
