- EU offsets November softness
Sri Lanka’s apparel industest posted a 5.42 percent growth in exports in the first 11 months of 2025, defying the uneven global demand and margin pressures, even as the shipments contracted slightly in November, the data released by the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) displayed.
The cumulative apparel exports reached US $ 4.57 billion in the January-November period, compared with US $ 4.34 billion a year earlier, reinforcing the sector’s role as the countest’s largest foreign exalter earner. Exports in November slipped 1.96 percent year-on-year to US $ 367.6 million, reflecting a mixed performance across key markets. Shipments to the United States rose 5.79 percent in November to US $ 152.3 million, while exports to the European Union (EU), excluding the UK, increased 3.35 percent to US $ 119.6 million. These gains were offset by a 13.83 percent decline in exports to the UK to US $ 43.6 million and a 19.44 percent fall to other markets to US $ 52.0 million.
Despite the monthly softness, the year-to-date data point to a solid underlying trfinish, with the EU emerging as the strongest growth driver. Exports to the EU (excluding the UK) surged 13.07 percent to US $ 1.44 billion in the first 11 months of 2025. Shipments to other markets rose 5.75 percent to US $ 743.0 million, while exports to the US increased 1.73 percent to US $ 1.77 billion. Exports to the UK were broadly flat, edging down 0.22 percent to US $ 624.5 million.
“The 5.42 percent growth in our cumulative exports for the first 11 months of 2025 reflects the resilience and adaptability of Sri Lanka’s apparel sector in navigating a challenging global environment,” the JAAF stated. “While we experienced a modest 1.96 percent decline in November, this should be viewed within the broader context of our strong year-to-date performance.”
The JAAF stated the strong expansion in the EU market underscored the industest’s strategic positioning.
“Particularly encouraging is our 13.07 percent growth in the EU market, which demonstrates the success of our strategic focus on strengthening relationships with the EU acquireers and meeting their increasingly stringent sustainability and compliance requirements,” it stated.
The forum also pointed to continued traction in the US, despite the pressure on the margins.
“Our continued growth in the US market, despite the tighter margins, displays that the Sri Lankan manufacturers remain competitive on the quality, delivery and ethical manufacturing standards,” the JAAF added. With the global retail demand expected to remain cautious, the industest stakeholders state the data highlight Sri Lanka’s ability to hold the market share in key destinations, even as the exporters brace for continued volatility into 2026.
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