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Commodity watch · updated Nov 13, 7:44 AM EST

Sri Lanka: commodities

For every crop USDA forecasts and every country that matters for it: USDA's crop outlook, the weather forecast over the main growing regions at the crop's stage, trade, prices and hedge funds' bets, and how much our sources are saying about it. A plain score from 0 to 100 says how much the supply looks at risk, and when the risk is real but the news is quiet, the watch raises a flag. Now: 800 cards for 62 commodities, 5 flagged.

Tea

25
WeatherMedium risk. Nuwara Eliya (high grown): 19.6 mm of rain forecast in the next 10 days, 23% of normal, while the crop is growing
MarketTea (three-auction average) $2.88/kg in October, up 0.7% on the month, down 4.3% on the year, the highest since August 2026
News4 reports in our sources in the last 14 days
Why 25
  • +25 Medium weather risk. Nuwara Eliya (high grown): 19.6 mm of rain forecast in the next 10 days, 23% of normal, while the crop is growing

Coconut oil

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 44,000 t in 2026/27, down 0% on last year, 1% of the world's
TradeExports 30,000 t, 1% of the world's; imports 40,000 t, 2% of the world's
MarketCoconut oil $2,029/mt in October, down 2.4% on the month, down 20.3% on the year, the lowest since August 2026
NewsNo reports in our sources in the last 14 days

Copra meal

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 23,000 t in 2026/27, down 0% on last year, 1% of the world's
TradeExports 15,000 t, 2% of the world's

Bought from the US

USDA's weekly export sales, the week to October 29, 2026: new sales less cancellations, and this marketing year's shipments.

CommodityThis weekShipped this year
soybean meal9,962 t20,028 ta year earlier 23,834
wheat0 t67,640 ta year earlier 102,638
corn0 t0 ta year earlier 0
beef0 t5 ta year earlier 7
pork0 t0 ta year earlier 0

Who buys its commodities

Its biggest commodity exports (farm, energy, metals) in 2024 and their main buyers, by value (CEPII BACI, January 2026 release, from UN trade statistics; Etalab Open Licence 2.0).

  • Tea $1.4 billionIraq 11%, Russia 10%, United Arab Emirates 8.8%, Saudi Arabia 5.1%
  • Coconut oil $90 millionUnited States 33%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 8.5%, Netherlands 6.3%, Canada 6.2%
  • Natural rubber $31 millionPakistan 15%, Japan 12%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 12%, China 8.8%
  • Rice $15 millionMauritius 33%, Australia 10%, Canada 8%, United Kingdom 6.5%
  • Copper $12 millionChina 62%, Taiwan 37%, India 0.9%, Thailand 0%
  • Lead $12 millionIndia 100%
  • Chicken $6.9 millionMaldives 97%, Vietnam 3.2%, China, Hong Kong SAR 0.3%, Denmark 0%
  • Phosphate rock $4.8 millionIndia 100%, Slovenia 0.2%, Malaysia 0.1%, China 0.1%
  • Wheat $3.6 millionSingapore 100%, Cyprus 0.1%, Ireland 0%, Sweden 0%
  • Aluminium $2.4 millionMalaysia 72%, India 22%, China 3.7%, Canada 2.4%

Where its commodities come from

Its biggest commodity imports in 2024 and where they come from, by value.

  • Crude oil $766 millionUnited Arab Emirates 100%, India 0%, China 0%, China, Hong Kong SAR 0%
  • Sugar $365 millionIndia 59%, United Arab Emirates 16%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 5.8%, Poland 5.5%
  • Coal $312 millionRussia 95%, Indonesia 2.8%, South Africa 2.4%, Australia 0.2%
  • Wheat $294 millionRussia 64%, Romania 17%, Canada 12%, Australia 4%
  • Coconut oil $215 millionIndonesia 65%, Malaysia 18%, Philippines 13%, Papua New Guinea 3%
  • Whole milk powder $181 millionNew Zealand 100%, Australia 0.2%, Malaysia 0.1%, India 0%
  • Soybean meal $149 millionUnited States 84%, India 15%, Nigeria 0.8%, Malaysia 0.1%
  • Natural rubber $123 millionVietnam 36%, Thailand 35%, Indonesia 11%, Malaysia 5.4%
  • Urea $106 millionQatar 28%, Saudi Arabia 19%, United Arab Emirates 17%, Oman 14%
  • Rice $87 millionIndia 84%, Pakistan 12%, United States 2.1%, China 2%

Sri Lanka's country page

Prices, October 2026

The World Bank's monthly averages in US dollars (the Pink Sheet, updated November 3), against the month before and a year before. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

CommodityPriceMonthYear
Energy
Crude oil, average108.5 $/bbl+6.1%+72.2%
Crude oil, Brent125 $/bbl+7%+93.2%
Crude oil, Dubai102.7 $/bbl+10.1%+59.7%
Crude oil, WTI97.7 $/bbl+0.8%+62.3%
Coal, Australian152.3 $/mt+3.5%+41.7%
Coal, South African100 $/mt+1.8%+9.2%
Natural gas, US2.96 $/mmbtu+0.3%−7.5%
Natural gas, Europe28.5 $/mmbtu+12.1%+161.7%
Liquefied natural gas, Japan16.59 $/mmbtu+2%+49.5%
Natural gas index182.7 2010=100+8.9%+86.2%
Beverages
Cocoa5.75 $/kg−2.9%−3.4%
Coffee, Arabica7.4 $/kg+1.9%−16.9%
Coffee, Robusta3.63 $/kg−1.6%−23.4%
Tea, avg 3 auctions2.88 $/kg+0.7%−4.3%
Tea, Colombo3.75 $/kg+0.5%−4.8%
Tea, Kolkata2.55 $/kg+0.8%−10.8%
Tea, Mombasa2.33 $/kg+1.3%+4.5%
Food
Coconut oil2,029 $/mt−2.4%−20.3%
Groundnuts1,600 $/mt+2.4%+33.3%
Fish meal2,840 $/mt−2.6%+60.5%
Groundnut oil1,850 $/mt−0.5%+13.6%
Palm oil1,120 $/mt−5.1%+7.9%
Palm kernel oil2,287 $/mt−2.9%+0.6%
Soybeans515 $/mt−1.7%+27.5%
Soybean oil1,546 $/mt−4.3%+36.6%
Soybean meal453 $/mt+1.3%+27.2%
Rapeseed oil1,405 $/mt−2.6%+11.2%
Sunflower oil1,413 $/mt+1.4%+3.7%
Barley80.4 $/mtAugust 2020——
Maize226.5 $/mt−5.5%+14.3%
Sorghum189.5 $/mtAugust 2020——
Rice, Thai 5%489 $/mt+1.5%+37.4%
Rice, Thai 25%472 $/mt+2.4%+34.5%
Rice, Thai A.1467.4 $/mt−1.2%+39.1%
Rice, Viet Namese 5%413.9 $/mt−1.1%+13.2%
Wheat, US SRW260.3 $/mt−6.6%+24.4%
Wheat, US HRW317 $/mt−8.6%+37.3%
Banana, Europe1.1 $/kg−1.8%−2.7%
Banana, US1.18 $/kg+5.4%+4.4%
Orange0.75 $/kg−5.1%−28.6%
Beef6.83 $/kg−0.4%−3.7%
Chicken1.84 $/kg+1.7%+7%
Lamb7.48 $/kg+3%+18.2%
Shrimps, Mexican8.6 $/kgOctober 2023——
Sugar, EU0.37 $/kg−2.6%−2.6%
Sugar, US0.92 $/kg+8.2%+19.5%
Sugar, world0.43 $/kg+4.9%+26.5%
Raw materials
Tobacco, US import u.v.6,775 $/mtJuly 2026——
Logs, Cameroon392.1 $/cubic meter−2.7%−3.7%
Logs, Malaysian188.5 $/cubic meter−0.9%−4.1%
Sawnwood, Cameroon636.8 $/cubic meter−0.9%−0.5%
Sawnwood, Malaysian724.3 $/cubic meter−1%−0.5%
Plywood345.8 cents/sheet−0.9%−4.1%
Cotton, A Index2 $/kg−4.8%+19%
Rubber, TSR202.55 $/kg+5.8%+49.1%
Rubber, RSS32.83 $/kg+2.9%+41.5%
Fertilizers
Phosphate rock170 $/mt0%+11.5%
DAP803.1 $/mt+0.3%+6.5%
TSP692 $/mt+0.3%+5.1%
Urea420 $/mt+3.1%+6.5%
Potassium chloride357.5 $/mt−2.7%+1.6%
Metals and minerals
Aluminum3,061 $/mt−6.8%+9.6%
Iron ore, cfr spot90.8 $/dmtu−7.1%−12.3%
Copper14,508 $/mt+0.2%+35.1%
Lead1,860 $/mt−0.7%−5.5%
Tin51,696 $/mt−3.8%+43.6%
Nickel15,436 $/mt−5.4%+2.3%
Zinc3,818 $/mt−5%+21.1%
Precious metals
Gold4,105 $/troy oz−5%+1.2%
Platinum1,621 $/troy oz−9.1%+0.3%
Silver57 $/troy oz−11.8%+15.4%

The record

Each card's score calls USDA's next revision of the country's crop: 50 or more “cut likely”, 30 to 49 “cut possible”, under 30 “no cut expected”. When USDA revises (grains, oilseeds and cotton every month, about the 10th; coffee and sugar twice a year), the last call before it is checked against what USDA did.

CallCallsUSDA cutRaisedUnchanged
no cut expected4033032341
cut possible1010

Sources

Crop figures: USDA FAS (PSD, Weekly Export Sales). Prices: World Bank Commodity Price Data (The Pink Sheet), CC BY 4.0. Hedge funds: CFTC Commitments of Traders. Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), normals from NASA POWER. Trade partners: CEPII BACI (Etalab Open Licence 2.0). Crop calendars after USDA FAS's; growing regions are the main ones of each main producer.

The same readings as data, free: GET /api/v1/commodities (and /map, /country/{code}, /prices, /weather, /scorecard).