Sri Lanka's Apex Organisation for Export Promotion
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Import Promotion Desk (IPD) Germany, has taken another significant step toward empowering Export oriented women entrepreneurs by launching Phase II of the "EDB-IPD Women-Led Exports" Capacity Building Programme. This initiative aims to further enhance the export potential of women-led businesses in Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector by equipping them with essential skills, technical expertise, and international market exposure.
A workshop on “Exporting from Sri Lanka To Japan; Guide & Good Practices” was successfully conducted on 24th February 2025, at Hotel NH Collection, Colombo, through collaboration between the International Trade Centre (ITC) Geneva, Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), and Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL).
Sri Lanka’s exports have surged past $1.3 billion in January 2025, marking a strong and promising start to the year! This remarkable growth reflects the resilience, innovation, and competitiveness of Sri Lankan industries, paving the way for sustained economic success.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the host institution of SheTrades Sri Lanka Hub, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), recently facilitated the participation of Selyn Exporters (Pvt) Limited and Candle House Ceylon, two Sri Lankan women-led businesses, at Ambiente 2025, one of the world’s premier trade fairs for consumer goods held in Frankfurt, Germany. This initiative was part of the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, funded by the United Kingdom's (UK) International Development.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), successfully conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) Programme under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, funded by UK International Development.
Mr. Marcus Pettersson, Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Gothenburg, Sweden, visited the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) to discuss strategies aimed at strengthening bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Sweden on 17th January 2025.
The International Trade Centre (ITC), in collaboration with the British High Commission in Colombo and the SheTrades Sri Lanka Hub, hosted by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), launched two sector-specific export handbooks aimed at equipping Sri Lankan women-led businesses with essential knowledge to enter the United Kingdom (UK) market. The launch event which, held on 27th January at Westminster House in Colombo convened key stakeholders from Sri Lanka and the UK to mark this significant milestone in trade facilitation.
As per the provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Customs, the merchandise export performance in December 2024 amounted to US$ 1,042.5 million, reflecting an 4.06% increase compared to December 2023. This was mainly due to the increase in earnings from export of Apparel & Textiles, Tea, Rubber based products, Coconut based products, Spices & Concentrates and Food & Beverages.
The 26th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony, aimed to recognize best exporters in Sri Lanka, will be held on 7th February 2025 with the sponsorship of Sampath Bank PLC as the Platinum Sponsor. Further DFCC Bank PLC and the Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC) will be the Silver Sponsors of the event. These sponsors have joined hands with the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) to support the event.
The 26th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), will take place on Friday, February 7, 2025, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) under the patronage of His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
The Export Development Board (EDB) successfully conducted a networking and knowledge sharing session for the women entrepreneurs registered under the “Women Entrepreneurship Development Program” recently at the EDB-NDB Tower, Colombo 02. The event addressed one of the key barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, lack of networking opportunities with industry leaders.
Total exports for November 2024, including both merchandise and services, were recorded at US$ 1,269.33 million, reflecting a marginal increase of 0.04% compared to the same period in 2023.
Australian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka H.E. Paul Stephens and his team met Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of EDB to strengthen bilateral trade relations between Australia and Sri Lanka.
From December 16th to December 19th, ITC's GTEX Project in Sri Lanka, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), held a training-of-trainers session followed by a training workshop on Circular Economy Business Models for the Textile and Clothing Industry.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) co-organized a series of factory visits as part of the UK-Sri Lanka Trade Mission under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme.
The United Kingdom (UK)-Sri Lanka Trade Mission, co-organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), successfully concluded its Jaffna program on 04th December 2024. This initiative highlighted the export potential of women-led businesses in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Northern region.
The United Kingdom (UK)-Sri Lanka Trade Mission, part of the UK Government-funded SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, is connecting 13 UK companies with 45 Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs on 02nd – 06th December 2024.
As per the provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Customs, the merchandise export performance in October 2024 amounted to US$ 1,097.1 million, recorded an increase of 18.22 % compared to the month of October 2023. This was mainly due to the increase in earnings from export of Apparel & Textiles, Tea, Rubber based products, Coconut based products and Spices & Concentrates.
In a strategic move to bolster Sri Lanka’s exports and enhance the international competitiveness of SMEs in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) signed a cooperation agreement with International Finance Corporation (IFC) launching the Sri Lanka Export Excellence Initiative (SLEEI).
European Union (EU) Ambassador to Sri Lanka Her Excellency Carmen Moreno reiterated their unwavering commitment to uplift the island’s economic conditions by engaging in fruitful collaborations. The Ambassador made these remarks when she made a courtesy call on the newly appointed EDB Chairman Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe on the 07th November, 2024, together with the Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Lars Bredal.
