Sri Lanka Unveils First National Export Strategy in Decades

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has embarked on a major initiative to design a National Export Strategy (NES) for 2025–2029, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Export Development Board (EDB). 

State Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said this is the first export strategy under the current government, aimed at addressing long-standing structural weaknesses that have hindered export growth for decades.

“Sri Lanka has had many export plans in the past, but most failed due to weak implementation and lack of political will,” Abeysinghe noted. “Today, our exports stand at just USD 13 billion. Countries like ours are exporting USD 500–600 billion annually. We’ve been stuck in the same position for 40 years. This strategy is about finding solutions to that problem.”

The new NES will be developed through broad stakeholder consultations, including exporters and industry representatives, over the coming months. The State Minister stressed that building national consensus around the plan is a top priority.

“Our goal is to make this not just a government plan, but a people’s plan,” he said, adding that the strategy will focus on competitiveness, diversification, and sustainable growth.