Apparel exports rise nearly 9% in first half on strong EU, UK demand

Sri Lanka’s apparel exports grew 8.95 percent year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of 2025, driven by strong demand from the European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK), according to the provisional data released by the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF).

Total exports rose to US $ 2.46 billion during January-June, up from US $ 2.26 billion a year ago, with the EU (excluding the UK) leading the growth at 16.7 percent to US $ 769.89 million. 

Exports to the UK rose 6.45 percent to US $ 366.53 million, while the shipments to the United States, the sector’s top market, increased by 4.1 percentto US $ 910.92 million. Exports to other destinations rose 8.9 percent to US $ 413.60 million.

The JAAF said the figures reflect the encouraging momentum in key markets like the EU and UK. It noted that despite the ongoing global headwinds, the industry remained resilient, supported by the strategic diversification and sustained buyer confidence in Sri Lankan apparel.

In June alone, exports rose 5.2 percent YoY to US $ 439.39 million, with the EU and UK markets growing 23.1 percent and 20.4 percent, respectively. This helped offset a 5.7 percent dip in US exports and a 9.3 percent fall in other markets.