By mid-March 2026, Sri Lanka's January import tax revision had been in force for roughly eight weeks. Workshops in Ratnapura and Beruwala told trade contacts that clearance was simpler on paper, but parcel volumes from Bangkok and Dubai had not fully returned to pre-2024 levels.
The lag is partly habit. International wholesalers rebuilt relationships with Thai and UAE offices during two years of unpredictable Sri Lankan border costs. Switching rough back to Colombo requires trust that the weight-based deemed value system will survive political cycles.
Local cutters also note a seasonal rhythm. First-quarter rough buying often follows Gem City planning and post-holiday cash flow. A fair test of recovery is whether second-quarter imports rise ahead of the August exhibition season.
For foreign buyers, the practical signal is lead time. If Beruwala re-export cutters have feedstock again, custom recuts and heat work on imported rough become available locally. If not, Ceylon origin stones still flow from domestic mining, but variety and size in workshop stock remain thinner than hub competitors.