Summary
- China → Sri Lanka
- $4.4billion
- Sri Lanka → China
- $354million
- China’s balance
- $4billion
Balance
China’s trade balance with Sri Lanka
Trade between China and Sri Lanka grew 29.2-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 4.4
- Imports 0.4
- Balance +4
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $161 million | $2 million | $159 million |
| 1996 | $151 million | $4 million | $148 million |
| 1997 | $197 million | $9 million | $188 million |
| 1998 | $293 million | $6 million | $287 million |
| 1999 | $205 million | $11 million | $195 million |
| 2000 | $296 million | $13 million | $283 million |
| 2001 | $295 million | $10 million | $285 million |
| 2002 | $294 million | $19 million | $275 million |
| 2003 | $385 million | $23 million | $363 million |
| 2004 | $544 million | $24 million | $520 million |
| 2005 | $704 million | $38 million | $666 million |
| 2006 | $856 million | $35 million | $821 million |
| 2007 | $994 million | $53 million | $941 million |
| 2008 | $1.3 billion | $66 million | $1.2 billion |
| 2009 | $999 million | $72 million | $927 million |
| 2010 | $1.4 billion | $113 million | $1.3 billion |
| 2011 | $2.3 billion | $146 million | $2.2 billion |
| 2012 | $2.8 billion | $164 million | $2.6 billion |
| 2013 | $3 billion | $166 million | $2.8 billion |
| 2014 | $3.4 billion | $233 million | $3.2 billion |
| 2015 | $4 billion | $369 million | $3.6 billion |
| 2016 | $4.3 billion | $269 million | $4 billion |
| 2017 | $4.3 billion | $487 million | $3.8 billion |
| 2018 | $4.3 billion | $321 million | $3.9 billion |
| 2019 | $4.1 billion | $341 million | $3.8 billion |
| 2020 | $3.8 billion | $305 million | $3.5 billion |
| 2021 | $5.3 billion | $578 million | $4.7 billion |
| 2022 | $3.6 billion | $381 million | $3.2 billion |
| 2023 | $3.3 billion | $319 million | $3 billion |
| 2024 | $4.4 billion | $354 million | $4 billion |
What they sell each other
What China sells to Sri Lanka
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
What Sri Lanka sells to China
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
How it travels
The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Colombo is 3,837 nautical miles (7,106 km) long: ≈ 9–11.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).
Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore.
Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.
Split by transport mode
Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.
How much each matters to the other
Sri Lanka was China’s 92nd largest trading partner (0.1% of its trade), and China was Sri Lanka’s 2nd (14%).
- Sri Lanka in China’s trade
- 0.1%
- Sri Lanka’s rank among China’s partners
- 92nd
- China in Sri Lanka’s trade
- 14.2%
- China’s rank among Sri Lanka’s partners
- 2nd
Compare with
Other partners of China
Other partners of Sri Lanka
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- World Bank, Global Shipping Traffic Density · CC BY 4.0 (route network derived by this site)
- World Port Index (NGA) · Public domain (US Government work)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.