ECONOMYNEXT \u2013 Sri Lanka\u2019s external current account returned to a deficit in September 2026 after recording a surplus a month earlier, even as merchandise export earnings rose, according to data released by the central bank.<\/p>\n
The current account posted a deficit of 128 million US dollars in September, compared with a surplus in August. <\/p>\n
The cumulative current account deficit for the first nine months of 2026 stood at 420 million dollars.<\/p>\n
Sri Lanka\u2019s merchandise trade deficit narrowed from a year earlier as export growth outpaced the increase in imports. <\/p>\n
Export earnings rose 21 percent from a year earlier to 1.377 billion dollars in September.<\/p>\n
Import expenditure increased 2.9 percent year-on-year to 2.109 billion dollars in September.<\/p>\n
The central bank said spending on fuel imports fell for the fifth consecutive month on a month-on-month basis. <\/p>\n
However, cumulative fuel imports in the January-September period rose 51.5 percent from a year earlier to around 4.5 billion dollars.<\/p>\n
Expenditure on motor vehicle imports fell 34.4 percent from a year earlier to 188 million dollars in September, while cumulative vehicle import spending reached 1.87 billion dollars during the first nine months of the year.<\/p>\n
Sri Lanka\u2019s cumulative trade deficit widened to 7.9 billion dollars in the January-September period from 5.2 billion dollars a year earlier.<\/p>\n
The services account surplus declined 34.3 percent year-on-year to 119 million dollars in September as services-related outflows, particularly travel and air transport payments, grew faster than inflows. <\/p>\n
The cumulative services surplus fell 22.3 percent to 2.2 billion dollars during the first nine months of the year.<\/p>\n
Tourist arrivals eased 0.3 percent from a year earlier in September, while arrivals during January-September were down 1.8 percent. <\/p>\n
Tourism earnings were estimated at 186 million dollars for the month, up 1.5 percent from a year earlier. <\/p>\n
However, cumulative tourism earnings fell 9.2 percent to 2.2 billion dollars.<\/p>\n
The primary income account deficit widened to 241 million dollars in September from 152 million dollars a year earlier, largely due to higher dividend payments on direct investments.<\/p>\n
Workers\u2019 remittances continued to provide support to the balance of payments, increasing 5.6 percent to 734 million dollars in September. <\/p>\n
Remittances in the first nine months of 2026 rose 18.1 percent from a year earlier to 6.9 billion dollars.<\/p>\n
Foreign investors remained net sellers of Sri Lankan financial assets. Foreign investment in government securities recorded a net outflow of 39.9 million dollars in September, while the Colombo Stock Exchange saw a net outflow of 4.7 million dollars including primary and secondary market transactions.<\/p>\n
Gross official reserves stood at 6.9 billion dollars at the end of September, including the currency swap facility with the People\u2019s Bank of China.<\/p>\n
The rupee had depreciated 6.8 percent against the US dollar by the end of October on a year-to-date basis, the Central Bank said. (Colombo\/Nov01\/2026)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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