Sri Lanka’s import expenditure rises sharply in November: CBSL

Colombo, January 1 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka's import expenditure rose sharply in November, 2025 with an increase in goods imports by 18.9%, driven largely by vehicle imports, widening the trade deficit, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said.

The CBSL said, despite this, the current account returned to a surplus in November, with a cumulative surplus of USD 1.7 billion recorded for the first eleven months of 2025.

"Workers’ remittances remained robust, increasing 27.0% Year on Year to USD 673 mn in November, maintaining strong positive momentum throughout the year. Tourism earnings stood at USD 252 million in November, showing an improvement over the previous month, though slightly below November 2024 levels.

It said gross official reserves were maintained at around USD 6.0 billion by end-November 2025, providing 3.4 months of import cover.

The CBSL said the Sri Lanka rupee depreciated by 5.6% YTD against the US dollar by end-December 2025. though slightly below November 2024 levels.

It said gross official reserves were maintained at around USD 6.0 billion by end-November 2025, providing 3.4 months of import cover.