Sri Lanka, May 1 -- The deficit in the merchandise trade account narrowed to US dollars 369 million in March 2024 from US dollars 412 million recorded in March 2023, primarily due to a higher increase in exports than the increase in imports.
However, it widened compared to February 2024 (US dollars 319 million).
Meanwhile, the cumulative deficit in the trade account during January to March 2024 was higher (US dollars 1,229 million) than the deficit recorded over the same period in 2023 (US dollars 896 million).
Earnings from merchandise exports increased by 9.8 per cent to US dollars 1,139 million in March 2024 compared to US dollars 1,037 million in March 2023.
There was an increase in earnings across all major categories of exports, w...