Sri Lanka Customs collected Rs. 122 billion in revenue during the first 18 days of May, or roughly 65 percent of the month’s Rs. 187.8 billion target, official data showed Wednesday.
Through the first 138 days of 2026, Customs has reached 47 percent of its full-year target of Rs. 2,207 billion — set 13.5 percent below 2025’s record Rs. 2,551 billion collection on the assumption that vehicle imports will moderate. The department has exceeded its monthly target every month so far this year through April.
Analysts expect that pace to slow in the coming weeks. The government imposed an additional 50 percent surcharge on Customs Import Duty for personal vehicles from May 16, a three-month measure designed to throttle import demand as the rupee weakens.
Officials attribute the recent revenue run to stronger enforcement against under-invoicing and misdeclaration, improved valuation practices and a rebound in import volumes after years of post-2022 contraction. With the rupee depreciating to record lows this week and bond yields rising, Customs has emerged as one of the Treasury’s most dependable revenue sources under the IMF programme.
Full-year 2025 Customs revenue of Rs. 2,551 billion was 64.2 percent higher than the Rs. 1,553 billion collected in 2024, reflecting the rebuild of import-led duty intake after the bankruptcy episode.
