As Sri Lanka’s broader export engine continued to hum through much of 2025, buoyed by gains in coconut products, processed food and jewellery, the island’s rubber and rubber-finished products cluster told a different story in October. Rubber — once a stable contributor to foreign exchange — slipped further into contraction, underscoring deepening structural challenges within the sector at a pivotal moment for the struggling national economy.
Highlights
• Rubber industry export earnings fall 5.4% YoY in October
• Jan–Oct 2025 rubber exports down 6% vs 2024
• Cyclone Ditwah hits tapping, deepens supply stress