Here are Sri Lankan banks widely regarded (by awards, market share and published product capabilities) as the strongest choices for trade‑finance needs, with a short note on each and sources you can check:

Top banks for trade finance in Sri Lanka

• Commercial Bank of Ceylon (ComBank) — market leader in export/import trade volumes and repeatedly awarded “Best/ Domestic Trade Finance Bank” for Sri Lanka (strong domestic LC handling, digitisation and other trade innovations). (combank.lk)
• Hatton National Bank (HNB) — recognised by Euromoney and other industry awards for trade‑finance market leadership and service quality. (businesscafe.lk)
• HSBC Sri Lanka — global trade franchise (supply‑chain finance, structured receivables, confirmation/guarantees) and highly ranked in Euromoney trade‑finance/client‑service surveys. Best for international connectivity and global trade flows. (dailymirror.lk, business.hsbc.lk)
• Standard Chartered Sri Lanka — strong international network and full suite of import/export LCs, guarantees, collections and supply‑chain solutions. Good choice for cross‑border trade that needs global correspondent coverage. (sc.com)
• Bank of Ceylon (BOC) — large state bank with widely accepted LCs, competitive confirmation/confirmation rates and extensive domestic presence (useful for government‑linked or large commodity trades). (boc.lk)
• National Development Bank (NDB) — active trade hub, export facilitation programmes and a wide correspondent network; strong for exporters and larger corporate trade flows. (ndbbank.com, ndbbank.lk)
• Sampath Bank — full trade‑finance product set plus digital corporate trade platform (Vishwa) and recognised for corporate banking services. Good for SMEs and corporates needing online trade workflows. (sampath.lk)
• DFCC Bank — offers trade finance, guarantees, import/export finance with an extensive correspondent network; useful for specialised trade financing and project‑linked trade. (dfcc2024.annualreports.lk, uat1.dfcc.lk)
• People’s Bank — large state commercial bank with a full trade‑finance desk (import/export financing, guarantees) and broad branch footprint for logistics and customs interactions. (peoplesbank.lk)

Quick guidance on picking the right bank for your trade needs

• If you need best global reach and correspondent coverage → choose an international bank (HSBC, Standard Chartered). (about.hsbc.lk, sc.com)
• If you prioritise domestic market share, fast LC handling and local market solutions → Commercial Bank, HNB, Sampath are strong options. (combank.lk, businesscafe.lk, sampath.lk)
• If you want development/export programmes, concessional packing‑credit or specialised exporter support → consider NDB or DFCC. (ndbbank.lk, uat1.dfcc.lk)
• For government or larger commodity imports where a state bank’s backing matters → Bank of Ceylon or People’s Bank. (boc.lk, peoplesbank.lk)

What to check with any bank before committing

• correspondent/confirmation capability for your buyer/supplier country;
• LC confirmation limits and charges;
• digital trade platforms (upload/track docs, e‑submission);
• availability of supply‑chain finance/receivables discounting;
• participation in guarantee/credit‑support programmes (e.g., ADB TSCFP) and any sustainability‑linked trade products;
• turnaround times for documents and local customs/shipping support.

Sources and evidence (Selected official bank pages and reputable industry coverage used above: Commercial Bank, HNB, HSBC Sri Lanka, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka, Bank of Ceylon, NDB, Sampath, DFCC, People’s Bank and industry award reports). (combank.lk, businesscafe.lk, about.hsbc.lk, sc.com, boc.lk, ndbbank.lk, sampath.lk, dfcc2024.annualreports.lk, peoplesbank.lk)

If you want, I can:

• produce a short comparative table (fees, digital features, correspondent reach) for a subset of these banks you’re considering, or
• draft an email/checklist you can send to bank relationship managers to compare quotes and service SLAs.