Sri Lanka-USA Bilateral Trade Analysis 2023

Complete trade statistics: $3.42B total volume •Sri Lanka surplus: $2.44B

Sri LankaUSA

$2.93B

Exports (2023)

USASri Lanka

$487.37M

Imports (2023)

Trade Balance

$2.44B

Surplus for Sri Lanka

Total Trade

$3.42B

Combined Volume

Trade Flow Visualization

Direct trade relationship between Sri Lanka and USA. Green line shows exports from Sri Lanka, red line shows imports.

Detailed Product Trade Analysis

Comprehensive breakdown of trade flows by product category, revealing the specialized nature of the Sri Lanka-USA commercial relationship and competitive positioning in global markets.

Sri LankaUSA Exports

$2.93B
2023 Total

Export Market Intelligence

Product Diversity:
Specialized Focus
Market Share:
7.9% top product
1Brassieres: whether or not knitted or crocheted
$231.11M
7.9% of exports
2Rubber: tyres n.e.c. in heading no. 4012
$175.47M
6.0% of exports
3Gloves, mittens and mitts: knitted or crocheted, impregnated, coated or covered with plastics or rubber
$137.67M
4.7% of exports
4Stones: rubies, sapphires and emeralds, worked (other than simply sawn or roughly shaped), not strung, mounted or set
$127.03M
4.3% of exports
5Briefs and panties: women's or girls', of cotton, knitted or crocheted
$102.41M
3.5% of exports

🎯 Strategic Export Focus

Sri Lanka's export portfolio to USA demonstrates strategic specialization, with brassieres: whether or not knitted or crocheted representing a key competitive advantage in this bilateral market.

USASri Lanka Imports

$487.37M
2023 Total

Import Dependency Profile

Supply Diversity:
Concentrated
Critical Imports:
20.3% concentration
1Oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil
$99.16M
20.3% of imports
2Medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.c. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail sale
$58.75M
12.1% of imports
3Turbo-jets: of a thrust exceeding 25kN
$33.36M
6.8% of imports
4Turbines: parts of turbo-jets and turbo-propellers
$13.70M
2.8% of imports
5Yarn: metallised, whether or not gimped, of textile yarn, or strip or the like of heading no. 5404 or 5405, combined with metal in the form of thread, strip or powder or covered with metal
$12.66M
2.6% of imports

📦 Import Strategy Analysis

Sri Lanka's import pattern from USA reveals significant dependencyin oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil, highlighting complementary economic structures and potential supply chain optimization opportunities.

Competitive Trade Position Analysis

🏆

Market Leadership

Sri Lanka demonstrates competitive strength in exportingbrassieres: whether or not knitted or crocheted to USA, leveraging comparative advantages.

Export Leader in 5+ Categories
🔄

Trade Complementarity

The bilateral relationship showsmoderatecomplementarity, with each country specializing in different sectors.

Specialized Exchange
📈

Growth Potential

The $3.42B trade volume indicates substantial economic integration with room for expansion in emerging sectors.

Significant Partnership

Executive Summary: Sri Lanka-USA Trade Relationship

Key Trade Highlights 2023

  • Total Trade Volume: $3.42 billionrepresenting a significant bilateral economic relationship
  • Trade Balance: Sri Lanka maintains a surplus of $2.44 billion
  • Export Focus: Sri Lanka's primary exports include brassieres: whether or not knitted or crocheted, rubber: tyres n.e.c. in heading no. 4012, gloves, mittens and mitts: knitted or crocheted, impregnated, coated or covered with plastics or rubber
  • Import Dependencies: Key imports from USA include oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil, medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.c. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail sale, turbo-jets: of a thrust exceeding 25kn

Strategic Trade Indicators

Trade IntensityHigh
Export DiversificationConcentrated
Trade Balance HealthImbalanced

📈 Market Position: This bilateral trade relationship represents an important regional trade partnerships, with complementary economic strengths driving sustained commercial exchange.

Historical Trade Analysis & Economic Context

Trade Evolution Timeline

2019-2023: Recent Trends

Current trade volume of $3.42B represents the culmination of evolving bilateral commercial relationships, influenced by global supply chain shifts and changing economic priorities.

2015-2019: Growth Period

Sustained expansion in bilateral trade driven by complementary economic structures, with Sri Lanka leveraging its comparative advantages in brassieres: whether or not knitted or crocheted.

2010-2015: Foundation Building

Establishment of modern trade frameworks and reduction of barriers, facilitating increased commercial exchange and investment flows between the two economies.

Pre-2010: Early Development

Initial stages of bilateral trade relationship development, with focus on traditional export-import patterns and gradual market integration.

Key Economic Drivers

1

Comparative Advantage

Sri Lanka's specialization in brassieres: whether or not knitted or crochetedcomplements USA's demand patterns, creating natural trade synergies.

2

Supply Chain Integration

Deep integration in global value chains has strengthened bilateral linkages, particularly in oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil.

3

Market Access & Trade Policy

Favorable trade agreements and market access conditions have facilitated the growth of this $3.42B bilateral relationship.

Trade Pattern Insights

Trade ComplementarityAsymmetric
Seasonal VariationsModerate
Product ConcentrationMedium
Market DependencyHigh
🔮

Trade Relationship Outlook

The $3.42B bilateral trade volume positions this relationship for continued growth, supported by technological advancement, evolving consumer preferences, and strengthening economic ties. Key opportunities lie in expanding cooperation in emerging sectors while managing potential supply chain vulnerabilities.

Economic Impact & Strategic Outlook

Economic Impact Assessment

💰

Trade Volume Impact

The $3.42 billion bilateral trade volume represents a important trade relationshipfor both economies.

Economic Significance: Moderate
🏭

Industrial Integration

Trade flows in brassieres: whether or not knitted or crocheted and oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil demonstrate deep industrial linkages and supply chain integration.

Supply Chain Integration: Specialized
⚖️

Trade Balance Effects

Sri Lanka's trade surplus of $2.44 billion strengthens its overall economic position in this bilateral relationship.

Balance Impact: Export Advantage

Strategic Future Outlook

🚀Growth Opportunities

Emerging Sectors
Technology transfer and innovation cooperation in rubber: tyres n.e.c. in heading no. 4012 present expansion opportunities.
Market Diversification
Beyond current focus on oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil, new product categories offer potential for trade expansion.

⚠️Risk Factors

Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
High trade imbalance may create supply chain risks
Market Competition
Global competition in brassieres: whether or not knitted or crocheted may affect future market positioning.

🎯Strategic Recommendations

  • Strengthen cooperation in high-value sectors beyond current trade patterns
  • Develop alternative supply chains to reduce dependency risks
  • Explore joint ventures in emerging technology sectors
  • Enhance trade facilitation and reduce transaction costs

Market Position & Competitive Summary

The bilateral trade relationship between Sri Lanka and USA represents a total trade volume of $3.42 billion in 2023. This partnership demonstrates a favorable trade balance for Sri Lanka, with exports exceeding importsby $2.44 billion.

Export Strengths

Sri Lanka's exports to USA total $2.93 billion, with competitive advantages in brassieres: whether or not knitted or crocheted, representing $231.11M or7.9% of bilateral exports.

Import Dependencies

Imports from USA amount to $487.37 million, highlighting economic interdependence in oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil, with Oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil comprising20.3% of total imports.

The trade relationship reflects broader economic patterns and comparative advantages. The trade surplus indicates Sri Lanka's competitive position in this bilateral relationship. This partnership is characterized by complementary trade flows, with each country specializing in different product categories based on their respective economic strengths, industrial capabilities, and position in global value chains.

Download Bilateral Trade Data

Access detailed trade data between Sri Lanka and USA in multiple formats.

Data Source: CEPII BACI (Base pour l'Analyse du Commerce International) • Last Updated: January 2025 • Coverage: 1995-2023