Iran war putting strain on Sri Lanka’s tea industry

Published May 21, 2026 Updated May 21, 2026 09:27am

Sri Lankan tea workers are facing increasing hardship as the Iran war increases energy prices and reduces demand for tea exports, Reuters reports.

According to Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board (EDB), export earnings fell 17.3 percent year-on-year in March to $114.75 million.

This was in part due to a 38 per cent drop in demand from Iraq, the largest tea buyer, while shipments to the United Arab Emirates plunged 93pc amid disruption to shipping and transport logistics, EDB data showed.

An employee prepares tea in a tasting room at the Dilmah tea factory in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 23, 2026. —Reuters
An employee prepares tea in a tasting room at the Dilmah tea factory in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 23, 2026. —Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

External woes
Updated 21 May, 2026

External woes

Relying indefinitely on remittances to offset structural economic weaknesses is not sustainable.
Political activity
21 May, 2026

Political activity

THE opposition is astir. There is talk of widespread protests this Friday over a list of dissatisfactions with the...
Seizing hope
21 May, 2026

Seizing hope

ISRAEL’S tyranny knows no bounds. After intercepting the Global Sumud Flotilla that set sail last week, disturbing...
Hormuz gamble
20 May, 2026

Hormuz gamble

The Strait of Hormuz has become the real centre of the confrontation.
The unkindest cut
20 May, 2026

The unkindest cut

SUICIDE, a complex symptom of deep despair triggered by mental health problems, is hardly a moral issue. Punitive...
Ad hoc culture
20 May, 2026

Ad hoc culture

THE Supreme Court’s ruling against prolonged ad hoc and acting appointments is an indictment of a deeply ...