The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) disclosed that it sold USD 223.3 million in the local foreign exchange market throughout May 2026. After acquiring USD 12 million during the same timeframe, the net dollar sales by the Central Bank for that month amounted to USD 211.3 million. This figure represents the highest monthly dollar sale executed by the CBSL since 2024.
This intervention is notably substantial when contrasted with figures from prior years. The sales recorded in May 2026 surpass the total dollar sales for the entirety of 2025, which were USD 205.3 million, as well as the total for 2024, which stood at USD 183 million. This shift indicates a significant turnaround from the preceding two years, during which the Central Bank predominantly acted as a net buyer of foreign currency, acquiring USD 2,812 million in 2025 and USD 3,028.78 million in 2024.
The year 2026 commenced with the Central Bank actively purchasing dollars from the market. In January 2026, the Bank sold merely USD 9.50 million, and there were no dollar sales recorded in February. However, by late February, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East began to negatively impact the value of the Sri Lankan Rupee, prompting the CBSL to initiate dollar sales to stabilize the exchange rate.
During the first five months of 2026, the cumulative activities of the Central Bank included the following: total dollars purchased amounted to USD 886.10 million, total dollars sold reached USD 400.20 million, resulting in net purchases of USD 485.90 million. Additionally, the Central Bank indicated that the depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee against the US dollar had reached 7.8 percent as of June 5, 2026.
Source: Financial Chronicle Biz English | Sri Lanka Business News.
