COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s second largest foreign exchange earner and the leading export product, apparel exports, surpassed the US$ 5 billion mark during last year with the country sending out goods worth US$ 5.071 billion.
According to statistics released by the Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association, apparel exports in 2021 rose 22 per cent to US$ 5.071 billion from US$ 4.156 billion recorded a year earlier, a year which was heavily disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, exports in 2021 still remain below its peak of US$ 5.3 billion recorded in 2019.
In December last year apparel exports increased 16 per cent to US$ 493.9 million from US$ 425.6 million recorded a year earlier.
Apparel Exports to the European Union have been estimated to have increased to nearly US$ 209.84 million during December last year, up 12.7 per cent from US$ 186.08 million recorded during the same month a year earlier.
