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Colombo Port Container Handling (2025)
Total volume of containers (TEUs) handled by Colombo port terminals.
Primary Sources
Depreciating rupee: Macroeconomic ramifications for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is once again confronting mounting economic uncertainty as the Sri Lankan Rupee continues to weaken against the United States Dollar, renewing concerns over inflation, debt sustainability, and the rising cost of living. Following a period of relative exchange rate stability after the 2022 economic crisis, the rupee has recently slipped beyond the Rs. 325 mark against the dollar, reigniting debate over the resilience of the country’s fragile recovery.Economists warn that continued depreciation could trigger a cascading impact on inflation, domestic production costs, export competitiveness, and investor confidence. However, Government officials maintain that the present volatility remains manageable and reflects policy-driven reserve accumulation and external market conditions rather than a systemic domestic breakdown.Treasury perspective on debt and inflationTreasury Deputy Secretary Ananda Kithsiri Seneviratne, outlining the Government’s position on the currency movement, argued that the increase in debt measured in rupee terms should not be interpreted as an immediate fiscal threat.“While the debt stock is increasing in rupee terms, our current foreign debt stands at approximately $ 38 billion. Therefore, a Rs. 1 depreciation increases the debt stock by roughly Rs. 40 billion. “However, when measured against our Rs. 32 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP), this increase is relatively insignificant. It does not create a major immediate impact on debt servicing and repayment. The primary long-term consequence of currency depreciation is the pressure it places on the cost of living rather than the national debt itself,” Seneviratne stated.Responding to speculation that the Government had resorted to monetary expansion to finance expenditure, he firmly denied allegations of excessive money printing.“Under the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Act, printing money is strictly prohibited. The current inflationary pressure is driven primarily by exchange rate movements. The depreciation is largely the result of the Central Bank purchasing dollars from the market to strengthen national reserves. “In addition, the import ceiling for the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) was recently increased from $ 100 million to over $ 400 million. That sharp increase in dollar demand by a single State institution has significantly influenced the exchange rate,” he explained.Funding relief without expanding the deficitAmid growing public concern over living costs, the ...
Economists chart Sri Lanka's next steps as global shocks test reform ...
The panel discussion in session. From left: Daily FT Editor/CEO Nisthar Cassim (Moderator), Gamani Corea Foundation Board Director Manjula de Silva, CBSL Deputy Governor Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Economist Arani Rodrigo and Peradeniya University Senior Professor of Economics Prof. O.G. Dayaratna-Banda -Pix by Sameera Wijesingha Gamani Corea Foundation and the Sri Lanka Economic Association host timely seminar to explore new ideas for Sri Lanka’s future Central Bank Deputy Governor Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara expertly frames the context Expert panel urges avoiding return to subsidy-driven and debt-fuelled growth model Export growth, reserves, fiscal discipline and investment seen as critical buffers Businesses face mounting logistics, insurance, wage and energy pressures Sri Lanka needs to treat global developments as creative destruction, and explore new ideas for sustainable growth Sri Lanka’s post-crisis recovery is entering a more difficult phase as policymakers, economists and businesses attempt to preserve stability amid rising geopolitical tensions, volatile energy markets and growing uncertainty in the global economy. Setting the tone and dining the scope of a recent seminar co-hosted by the Gamani Corea Foundation and the Sri Lanka Economic Association on “Sri Lanka’s Current Macroeconomic Policy Directions in the Current Global Volatility,” Sri Lanka Economic Association President Prof. Sirimevan Colombage said Sri Lanka, as a small open economy, remained highly vulnerable to external shocks, particularly while still recovering from the 2022 economic crisis and the aftereffects of Cyclone Ditwah. He said recent developments, including US tariff actions and the conflict in the Middle East, had intensified risks facing the economy at a time when Sri Lanka was still rebuilding macroeconomic stability. At the forum, speakers warned that the country’s next challenge would be sustaining reform momentum while rebuilding reserves, strengthening fiscal discipline and accelerating export-led growth in an increasingly unstable external environment. Participants argued that Sri Lanka could no longer return to the cycle of stimulus-led growth, untargeted subsidies and heavy borrowing that culminated in the 2022 economic crisis, while also cautioning that repeated global shocks continue to expose structural weaknesses in the economy. The context Keynote speaker Central Bank Deputy Governor Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara warned tha...
Special Data Dissemination Standard - Sri Lanka - Central Bank of Sri Lanka
updated on: 5/12/2026 4:54:16 PM This page is updated periodically. Unless otherwise indicated, data are preliminary when first released. Data are not seasonally adjusted. For a fuller explanation of the Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) and the statistical standards to which Sri Lanka has committed, please click on DSBB Home Page.
Key milestone in external sector statistics: Current account statistics ...
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) commenced publishing monthly current account statistics for the first time, with the publication of the 'External Sector Performance - January 2025'1 press release along with new 'External Sector Statistical Bulletin'. ..
