Sri Lanka Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in Sri Lanka, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals.
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Apparel
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Apparel is the country’s largest export industry, reaching  $4.9 billion in 2025; a 5.2 percent increase compared to $4.7 billion in 2024. Between 2024 and 2025, textile exports rose by 4.1 percent to $522 million.

On the import side, between 2024 and 2025, textile imports decreased by 3.6.9 percent to $2.7 billion. Over the same period, apparel imports rose 16.2 percent to $214 million. 

The sector relies heavily on imported inputs, including cotton, textiles, equipment, and technology. The industry spends an estimated $2 billion annually on inputs, primarily fabric. 

Leading Sub-sectors

Apparel fabric 
Technological equipment 

Opportunities

The apparel industry is a key sector that requires continuous upgrading and new technology. Opportunities exist to supply grey fabric, denim, polyester yarn, and specialized fabrics for lingerie and sportswear. Many Sri Lankan apparel companies manufacture for leading U.S. brands.

Resources

Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka (JAAF)

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

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The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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