Sri Lanka Customs has recorded revenue of Rs. 765.7 billion as of April 16, exceeding the period target by Rs. 71.8 billion, according to official data released on Saturday.
The department has been assigned a revenue target of Rs. 2,207.0 billion for 2026 and is tracking ahead of schedule less than a third of the way through the year. In 2025 Customs posted its highest-ever annual collection at Rs. 2,557.5 billion.
Customs Media Spokesperson Chandana Punchihewa attributed part of the early-year outperformance to cargo diverted through Colombo Port as a result of the Middle East crisis. Terminal operators have reported a rise in re-export volumes as containers originally destined for Middle Eastern ports are being offloaded at Colombo and routed onward to their final destinations.
“Containers that were originally scheduled to be shipped directly to the Middle East are now being offloaded and rerouted to their respective destinations,” Punchihewa said.
The redirection is a rare tailwind for Sri Lanka from a regional conflict that has otherwise weighed heavily on the economy through elevated fuel premiums and airline capacity pressures. Colombo Port’s transshipment role has historically benefited from disruptions elsewhere on east-west shipping lanes.
Customs is one of the three largest contributors to government revenue alongside the Inland Revenue Department and Excise. The IMF programme targets on revenue collection remain a key benchmark in the ongoing fifth and sixth review, which government officials have said is progressing well.
