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Vehicle import bill falls 34% in Sept.

The country spent $ 1,871 million on motor vehicle imports during January-September, Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) data showed, about 10% of the $ 18.7 billion spent on merchandise imports in the period.

“Expenditure on motor vehicle imports, including both personal and commercial vehicles, amounted to $ 188 million in September 2026, representing a 34.4% decline compared to September 2025,” the CBSL said in its External Sector Performance report for September, released on Friday. The monthly outlay was broadly unchanged from the $ 189 million spent in August.

Despite the lower import bill, vehicle registrations rose 18% month-on-month to 54,214 units in September from 45,811 in August, led mainly by a rebound in two-wheelers and three-wheelers, according to JB Securities. Most major categories recorded gains, although volumes stayed below the levels seen earlier in 2026.

Two-wheelers drove most of the increase, climbing to 38,747 units from 33,498, of which 38,178 were brand-new. TVS topped overall two-wheeler registrations for a second straight month with 8,684 units, followed by Bajaj with 8,035 and Honda with 7,673. Bajaj remained the leader in brand-new motorcycles with 7,821 units, while Honda headed scooters with 7,532, ahead of TVS with 6,668. Financing accounted for 54.4% of two-wheeler registrations