Sri Lanka, July 23 -- Sri Lanka's exports surpassed the US $ 9 billion mark in the first six months of 2026, driven by broad-based growth in merchandise and services exports, although the weakness in the country's largest export earners, apparel and tea, continued to weigh on the overall performance.

Combined merchandise and services exports rose 8 percent year-on-year (YoY) to an estimated US $ 9.01 billion during January-June, with merchandise exports increasing 8.95 percent to US $ 7.07 billion and services exports rising 4.49 percent to US $ 1.94 billion, according to the Export Development Board (EDB).

June alone recorded a stronger performance, with total exports climbing 12.53 percent YoY to US $ 1.66 billion, supported by a 15....