What Sri Lanka Customs does

Sri Lanka Customs is a government department of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, operating under the Ministry of Finance. Established in 1806, it is one of the country's oldest continuously operating state institutions. Its mandate covers four core functions: collection of customs revenue and import/export taxes, prevention of revenue leakage and customs fraud, facilitation of legitimate trade, and collection of import and export data for national statistics. The department is headquartered at No. 40, Main Street, Colombo 11, with additional facilities at Kankesanturai port. It serves importers, exporters, travellers, crew members, customs house agents (CHAs), and Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) across Sri Lanka.

The department's technology platform is anchored by ASYCUDA (Automated System for Customs Data), a UNCTAD-developed customs management system used to process declarations, manifests, and trade facilitation workflows. Supplementary digital platforms include ASYHUB for mandatory sea cargo manifest reporting by shipping agents and freight forwarders, Cargo Flow for container tracking, Track My CusDec for declaration status, the Customs e-Registration portal for CHA and declarant onboarding, an AEO web portal for trusted-trader certification, the NIVDU for customs valuation, a Vehicle Verification portal, an IPR recordation database, and a Remittance Portal for transaction monitoring. The technology stack is being augmented by an Oracle Exadata procurement initiated in mid-2025 for higher-performance database operations.

Sri Lanka Customs does not operate a commercial pricing model. Its revenue mechanics are statutory: it collects import duties, export taxes, customs service charges (including ICT fees for ASYCUDA and ASYHUB usage), and proceeds from public tender sales of confiscated, unclaimed, and abandoned goods. Distribution is direct — through physical customs offices at ports, airports, and border crossings, and through self-service digital portals. As a state entity, the department holds exclusive statutory authority for customs enforcement in Sri Lanka under the Customs Ordinance.

Name

Sri Lanka Customs

Legal name

Sri Lanka Customs

Website

https://customs.gov.lk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1806

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Sri Lanka Customs is a government department under Sri Lanka's Ministry of Finance, established in 1806, responsible for customs enforcement, trade facilitation, and revenue collection. It operates ASYCUDA and ASYHUB digital platforms serving importers, exporters, travellers, and customs intermediaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customs Administration

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Clearance & Border Trade Facilitation (BPAIADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Classification & Valuation (HS/HTS, Origin, Duty Optimization) (TLACAFAC), Export Customs Clearance (Export Declarations & AES/EEI) (TLACAFAB)

Keywords

• Customs administration
• Trade facilitation
• Border security
• Customs duty collection
• Cargo manifest processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Customs Duty Collection: Collection of import and export taxes, customs duties, and related levies as a government revenue function
2. Customs Service Charges: Fees for customs examination and ICT services related to customs declarations processing
3. Tender Sales: Sale of confiscated, unclaimed, and abandoned goods through public tender processes

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sri Lanka Customs is a government department responsible for customs enforcement, import/export duty collection, trade facilitation, and border security. It provides customs declaration processing through ASYCUDA, cargo manifest submission via ASYHUB, trader/CHA registration, vehicle verification, AEO certification, and trade statistics collection. The department operates physical offices at ports, airports, and border crossings, alongside digital self-service platforms.

Product overview

Sri Lanka Customs operates a unified platform comprising multiple interconnected digital systems for customs administration, trade facilitation, and border security. The core systems include ASYCUDA for customs declarations, ASYHUB for cargo manifest management, and Cargo Flow for cargo tracking. Additional portals provide specialized services including e-Registration, AEO programme management, vehicle verification, IPR recordation, tariff information, exchange rate publication, and remittance monitoring. These systems collectively enable the department to fulfill its mandate of revenue collection, trade facilitation, and customs enforcement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ASYCUDA System Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) is the primary customs declaration and processing system used by Sri Lanka Customs for managing import and export declarations, supporting electronic data interchange for trade facilitation. Used by Customs House Agents and declarants for customs clearance.
• ASYHUB System Web-based platform for the mandatory submission of sea cargo manifests by shipping agents, carriers, NVOCC operators, and freight forwarders for customs clearance purposes.
• Cargo Flow System Cargo tracking system enabling declarants to view the status of containers and cargo movements through customs checkpoints.
• Customs e-Registration System Online registration portal for traders, customs house agents, and businesses to register with Sri Lanka Customs for import/export operations.
• Track My CUSDEC Online portal for tracking the status of customs declarations (CUSDEC) and container processing.
• Vehicle Verification Portal Online verification system to confirm whether vehicles were imported correctly through customs.
• AEO Web Portal Web portal for the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, providing trade facilitation benefits to compliant traders.
• NIVDU Web Portal National Item Valuation Database (NIVDU) web portal for customs valuation database access.
• Remittance Portal System for transparent transaction monitoring and remittance reporting for customs transactions.
• IPR Database Intellectual Property Rights recordation system for protecting trademarked goods at customs borders.
• Customs Tariff & Tax Changes Portal Portal providing information on customs tariffs, duty changes, import tariff rates, and tax revisions.
• Exchange Rates System Weekly exchange rate publication system for customs duty calculation purposes.
• Customs Fees and Charges System System for managing customs service charges, examination fees, and ICT fees for customs operations.
• Bonded Operation Services Bonded operation services for businesses operating under customs supervision, allowing deferral of duty payment until goods are removed from bonded warehouses.
• Door-to-Door Operations Door-to-door operations for end-to-end customs clearance at the importer's premises, facilitated by authorized operators.
• Public Tender Sales Sale of confiscated, unclaimed, and abandoned goods through public tender processes.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Australian Border ForceminorOthersAustralian Border Force donated two baggage scanners to Sri Lanka Customs in a ceremony at Kankasanthurai port. The equipment is intended to strengthen border security and improve the efficiency of passenger and cargo screening operations.
• Ministry of FinancecoreOthersParent ministry responsible for Sri Lanka Customs policy direction and financial oversight.
• Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Technical Committee on Rules of Origin (TCRO), inaugurated December 2025. Joint effort to strengthen Sri Lanka's Rules of Origin framework and improve inter-agency coordination for FTAs and RTAs.
• UNCTADcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of the ASYCUDA (Automated System for Customs Data) system used by Sri Lanka Customs for customs declaration processing.
• Central Bank of Sri LankacoreOthersRelated agency for monetary policy coordination and financial transaction monitoring in trade.
• Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)coreOthersPartner agency for port operations and cargo handling coordination.
• Import and Export Control DepartmentcoreOthersCoordination on import/export regulations and trade control measures.
• Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI)coreOthersCollaboration on investment-related customs facilitation for BOI-approved enterprises.
• Sri Lanka Export Development BoardminorOthersCollaboration on promoting Sri Lanka's export potential through events like Sri Lanka Expo 2026.
• Civil Aviation Authority of Sri LankacoreOthersCoordination on aviation cargo and passenger screening at airports.
• Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) LimitedcoreOthersCollaboration on airport operations and passenger facilitation at BIA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), India: India's national customs administration performing the same revenue collection, border enforcement, and trade-facilitation role. Highly comparable in mandate, scale, and function; DG-level talks between the two are referenced in Sri Lanka Customs' data.
• Pakistan Customs: National customs authority of Pakistan handling import/export duties, ASYCUDA-based declaration processing, and border security. Closely comparable in technology stack, mandate, and South Asian operational context.
• National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh - Customs Wing: Bangladesh's customs administration operates ASYCUDA World, performs revenue collection, and manages border enforcement for a single-country jurisdiction. Directly comparable regional peer in size and function.
• Royal Malaysian Customs Department: Malaysia's national customs authority providing import/export duty collection, trade facilitation, and ASYCUDA-based declaration processing. Comparable mandate with a more mature digital infrastructure serving as a modernisation benchmark.
• Singapore Customs: Singapore's national customs authority operates the Networked Trade Platform, an advanced trade-facilitation system. Comparable mandate; widely viewed as the gold standard for digital customs, providing strategic reference for Sri Lanka Customs' modernisation roadmap.
• Australian Border Force: Australia's integrated border agency performs customs enforcement and trade facilitation. Directly cited as a partner — Australian Border Force donated baggage scanners to Sri Lanka Customs — evidencing close operational comparability.
• New Zealand Customs Service: New Zealand's national customs administration handling revenue collection, border security, and trade facilitation for a single country. Comparable in scope and in pursuing digital trade-modernisation programmes.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP): The largest national customs and border-protection agency in the world, performing revenue collection, enforcement, and trade facilitation at far greater scale. Comparable in mandate but operates at much broader scope and scale than Sri Lanka Customs.

Others

• UNCTAD: Provider of the ASYCUDA platform that underpins Sri Lanka Customs' declaration processing. Not a competing customs authority but a critical technology partner and standard-setter; relevant for benchmarking modernisation.
• World Customs Organization (WCO): Intergovernmental body setting global customs standards (SAFE Framework, Harmonized System, AEO programmes) that shape Sri Lanka Customs' operating framework. Enables comparability against other national administrations globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/customssl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrEtbePpVwOMRaAootmBCAg
• Facebookfacebook.com/SriLankaCustoms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/srilankacustoms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sri Lanka Customs