Sri Lanka’s total export earnings fall by 1.68 %

Sri Lanka’s total export earnings fell 1.68 percent in the first 10 months to $8,675 million compared to the corresponding period in 2015.

Cumulative export earnings of spices during the period January to October fell 24.17 to USD 220.07 million compared to the same period in 2015 while earnings from vegetables were down 4.55 percent to USD 19.52 million and fruits came down 1.86% to USD 30.11 million. In the first 10 months of 2016, total export earnings from cut flower and foliage, ornamental fish and diamonds, gems and jewellery fell , 2.63%, 30.84%, 22.24% to USD 11.86 million, 10.74 million and 210.11 million respectively as against the corresponding period in 2015.

Total export earnings from leather and leather products, boat building and footwear dropped 7.40% and 66.98% to USD 18.89 million and USD 58.84 million respectively compared to the same period in the previous year while total wood and wooden products and footwear export earnings recorded an increase of 7.28% , 38.72% by earning USD 50.41 million and USD 100.56 million respectively.

Tea exports were also down 6.25% at USD 1,044 million during January –October period in 2015, while other export crops earnings fell 17.14 to USD 408 million compared to the same period in 2015. The export earnings of natural rubber and coconut rose 18.35 , 2.28 to USD 26.31 and USD 458.84 million respectively.

Textile and apparel export earnings has recorded an increase of 2.28% by earning USD 4,092 million as against the corresponding period of the previous year. In the first 10 months of 2015 and 2014, textile and apparel export earnings stood at USD 4,001 and USD 4,039 million respectively.