Sri Lanka’s total export earnings reached $1.38 billion in April and $5.784 billion over the first four months of 2026, the Export Development Board (EDB) said on Sunday, NewsFirst reported.
Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidyaratne disclosed the April figure alongside a tea-specific breakdown, noting tea exports generated $451 million in the January–April period. The minister cited the data while attending the annual “Tea Mangalya” ceremony at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, the traditional offering of the maiden tea harvest plucked after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Sri Lanka Tea Commissioner K.A.M.K. Jayawardena was also present.
The EDB’s $1.38 billion total April figure sits above the $1.06 billion merchandise exports Sri Lanka Customs recorded for the month — the gap reflecting services earnings and reclassification between the two data series. The Central Bank’s April external sector update had separately flagged that the country’s current account slipped to a deficit in April as a $886 million fuel bill and weaker tourism receipts widened the trade gap.
The EDB cumulative number puts Sri Lanka on a trajectory of roughly $17 billion in annual exports if the four-month pace holds, against rising domestic concern over a rupee that has slid 5.4% year-to-date and energy-cost pressures.
