Embassy of Sri Lanka in Türkiye has explored new opportunities for trade and investment cooperation with the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, focusing on strengthening bilateral economic engagement between Sri Lanka and Türkiye.
Niluka Kadurugamuwa, together with an official delegation, recently met with Sekib Avdagiç at the Chambers headquarters in Istanbul.
According to a statement issued by the Embassy, discussions centred on identifying new avenues for bilateral trade and investment cooperation, with the aim of advancing the mutually agreed trade target of US$ 500 million under the TürkiyeSri Lanka Joint Economic Cooperation framework.
During the meeting, Ambassador Kadurugamuwa highlighted the growing potential for Turkish businesses to expand trade and investment activities in Sri Lanka, emphasising the countrys strategic geographic location, investor-friendly environment and emerging economic opportunities.
The discussions also covered several potential areas for future collaboration, including enhanced air connectivity, maritime cooperation and tourism sector partnerships between the two countries.
Sri Lanka Customs Achieves Rs. 1 Trillion Revenue Milestone in Just 132 Days
Sri Lanka Customs has crossed the Rs. 1 trillion revenue milestone within the first 132 days of 2026, continuing a trend of consistently exceeding monthly revenue targets.
Customs Spokesman Chandana Punchihewa stated that the department surpassed the Rs. 1 trillion mark this week, describing it as a significant milestone in revenue collection for the year.
Official data showed that Customs revenue had reached Rs. 995.8 billion by Monday, accounting for 45.1% of the departments annual revenue target of Rs. 2,207 billion for 2026.
The milestone was achieved after the department exceeded monthly revenue targets for four consecutive months. During the first four months of the year, cumulative revenue collections surpassed targets by 33.7%, reaching Rs. 919.3 billion.
Total revenue collected by Sri Lanka Customs increased by 49.8% during the first four months of 2026 compared to the corresponding period last year.
In 2025, the department recorded an all-time high revenue collection of Rs. 2,551 billion, exceeding its revised annual target of Rs. 2,241 billion. This represented a 64.2% increase compared to the previous years revenue performance.
Despite the strong momentum, the revenue target for 2026 was set 13.5% lower than last years collection, mainly due to expectations of a decline in vehicle imports.
The recent rise in Customs revenue has largely been attributed to stronger enforcement measures, improved valuation practices and the recovery of import volumes following years of contraction linked to Sri Lankas 2022 economic crisis.
After the crisis, import volumes declined sharply as the country introduced restrictions aimed at conserving foreign exchange reserves.
Sri Lanka Explores Trade and Investment Cooperation Opportunities with ICC in Türkiye
