Sri Lanka customs revenue beats targets

Revenue collections reached Rs. 743.6 billion leading up to the 2026 Sinhala and Tamil New Year, exceeding the initial targets set for the period. Sri Lanka Customs Media Spokesperson and Director Chandana Punchihewa informed The Sunday Morning Business that revenue continues to outperform projections despite difficult external market conditions.

The estimated revenue goal as of 9 April was Rs. 687.8 billion, but actual collections reached Rs. 743.6 billion. Shipping traffic remained steady even with global disruptions, such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Middle East crisis. Local ports actually handled substantial container volumes just before the holiday.

Terminal operators indicate that the Middle East crisis led to more re-export cargo moving through Sri Lanka. This shift resulted in higher volumes of containers being unloaded locally for later shipment to final destinations. Containers originally meant for direct shipment to the Middle East are being offloaded and rerouted. For the full year 2026, Sri Lanka Customs faces a revenue target of Rs. 2,206 billion, a decrease from the Rs. 2,540.3 billion collected in 2025 due to expected lower vehicle imports.