COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's trade deficit widened 67.5 percent to $701.8 million in February from $418.9 million in the same month last year, the central bank said on Friday.

February imports rose 27.9 percent to $1.58 billion from $1.24 million a year earlier. Exports edged up 7.6 percent to $878.8 million, compared with $817.0 million a year ago.

The trade deficit in the first two months of 2012 widened 59.7 percent to $1.7 billion.