Appraisal of Sri Lanka's exporting industrial minerals using publicly available mineral databases

Abstract

Sri Lanka possesses a diverse portfolio of industrial minerals, yet systematic evaluations of their export performance and competitiveness remain limited. This study analyzes the export trends of graphite, quartz, mica, and mineral sands between 2000 and 2023 using data from UN Comtrade, World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS). The analysis incorporates trade quantities, inflation-adjusted unit values, and Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) Analysis to assess Sri Lanka’s competitiveness in global markets. Results show that graphite exports, despite increasing unit prices (US$ 373–2,250/MT), have declined in volume since 2015 due to supply constraints and rising competition from synthetic and flake graphite. Quartz emerges as the most stable performer, with consistent growth in both export volume and value, supporting electronics and solar industries. Mica exports peaked in 2014 but declined sharply, though recent increases in mica powder exports highlight niche potential. Mineral sand displayed volatility: titanium concentrates surged to 87.4 KMT in 2021 and collapsed in 2023 to 2.4 KMT, while zirconium concentrates recorded a strong recovery in 2023. RCA analysis confirms Sri Lanka’s strong comparative advantage in graphite and quartz, moderate advantage in mica, and mixed performance in mineral sands. The findings suggest that while value-added processing has improved long-term competitiveness, Sri Lanka must balance policy restrictions on raw exports with market realities. Modernization of mining technologies, strengthening value chains, and flexible export strategies are recommended to sustain growth and enhance global competitiveness.