Sri Lanka’s exports of apparel and made-up textile articles rose to US$447.21 million in December 2025, an increase of 5.43% compared with US$424.18 million in the same month of 2024, according to industry export statistics covering HS Chapters 61, 62 and 63.

Growth was recorded across the three main destination markets. Exports to the USA increased by 6.49% year-on-year to US$178.29 million, while shipments to the EU, excluding the UK, rose 6.76% to US$141.00 million. Exports to the UK posted the strongest monthly increase, up 12.95% to US$55.12 million. By contrast, exports to other markets declined by 4.06% to US$72.80 million. Overall, December exports were US$23.03 million higher than a year earlier.

For the full January to December 2025 period, apparel exports increased 5.42% year-on-year to US$5,019.20 million, compared with US$4,761.02 million in 2024. The annual increase amounted to US$258.18 million. In addition, exports of fabrics reached US$526.33 million, bringing total sector exports to around US$5.5 billion for the year.

Market-wise, the EU excluding the UK delivered the strongest full-year performance, with exports rising 12.48% to US$1,576.39 million. Exports to the USA grew by 2.15% to US$1,947.37 million, while shipments to the UK were broadly stable, edging up 0.74% to US$679.66 million. Exports to other markets increased 4.80% to US$815.78 million.

Taken together, the USA and EU accounted for approximately 71% of December exports and contributed the largest share of the month’s year-on-year increase.

Commenting on the results, the Joint Apparel Association Forum said that closing the year above US$5.0 billion reflects consistent performance across core markets, with the EU providing the strongest momentum. It added that the December improvement in the UK, alongside continued growth in the USA and EU, was encouraging, while the decline in other markets highlighted the ongoing need to diversify demand.

The industry body noted that sustaining growth will depend on improving competitiveness, protecting delivery reliability and strengthening buyer confidence through consistent quality and responsible production, alongside expanding access to new and emerging markets.

www.jaafsl.com