Vehicle import bill falls 27% M-o-M in June

Monday, 3 August 2026 00:27 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Motor vehicle import expenditure declines to $ 182 m from $ 250 m in May
1H vehicle import bill reaches $ 1.25 b, down from $ 1.6 b during 2H 2025

Expenditure on imported motor vehicles declined 27% month-on-month (M-o-M) to $ 182 million, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s (CBSL) latest External Sector Performance report.

Cumulative expenditure on motor vehicle imports amounted to $ 1.254 billion during the first half of 2026. The CBSL noted that this was lower than the $ 1.572 billion recorded during the second half of 2025.

Separately, JB Securities said total vehicle registrations declined to 58,151 units in June from 62,776 in May, with motor car registrations easing to 3,929 from 4,738 and brand-new registrations falling to 998 from 1,199.

The brokerage estimated that financing accounted for around 43% of vehicle purchases during the month, while Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and crossover registrations increased to 5,933 units, remaining the strongest-performing passenger vehicle segment.