Sri Lanka, Oct. 15 -- Sri Lanka's foreign reserves declined by US$54 million to US$6,851 million in September 2026, First Capital Research said, amid rising imports and a decline in exports.

Imports increased by 12.8% year on year to US$1,913.8 million in August, driven by higher spending on intermediate and investment goods.

Intermediate goods imports, the largest component of the import basket, rose by 24.6% year on year, while investment goods and other imports increased by 25%. In contrast, consumer goods imports declined by 15.7% during the month.

Cumulative imports during the first eight months of 2026 rose by 24.1% to US$16,557.1 million. Intermediate goods imports increased by 25.5%, while investment goods and other imports gre...