Market sentiment

Sri Lanka's construction PMI rose in June, signaling expansion, though firms cited skilled labor and bitumen shortages. Cabinet cleared procurement for Phase 1 of the Ruwanpura Expressway and approved 23 regional industrial projects. Treasury allowed repricing of state contracts to reflect higher costs. In property, high-end condos led Q1 sales while volumes fell.

Insurance sector metrics strengthened in 1Q 2026: GWP rose 24.54% to Rs.114,863 million, total assets grew 16.65% to Rs.1,478,777 million, and industry PBT edged up 3.14% to Rs.9,978 million, with Life PBT down 11.5% and General PBT up 28.1%. June services PMI rose to 58.5 with gains in insurance, alongside higher employment and new business. Brokers flagged PDPA and cyber liabilities, highlighting D&O and Cyber insurance.

SLPMA dominated sector news, urging a long-term government buyback to back local pharma manufacturing, quicker raw-material import approvals and stable incentives, plus a national push to make pharmaceuticals an export engine through a task force and faster regulation. Cross-border activity featured a 31-member Indian delegation on 8-10 July for B2B sessions including pharma. Colombo Port City moved to seek operators for an international hospital. Cybersecurity risks to hospitals gained attention.

Port logistics dominated the month: MSC entered talks to buy into Hambantota as transshipment calls shift there, while Colombo terminals added capacity and productivity through new electric cranes and $40m in IFC/HSBC financing. Customs moved toward a paperless declaration system and beat its July revenue target. Aviation recorded 4.75m passenger movements at BIA in 1H.

Tourism showed a July rebound led by India: arrivals surpassed 1.3 million by late month, though year-to-date remains about 2% below last year. Sector receipts fell 12% in 1H. Authorities cut 2026 targets due to Middle East-linked air corridor disruptions. BIA handled 4.75 million passenger movements in 1H with 1.14 million tourist arrivals. The Cabinet approved leasing five underutilised Presidential Residences to private investors for tourism development.

US confirmation of a 10% Section 301 tariff preserved competitiveness for Sri Lankan manufacturers, especially apparel and rubber. Exporters sought clear, risk-based guidelines for the new forced labour import ban to avoid shipment delays. June PMI showed manufacturing expanding but slower at 53.0, led by food and beverages. FTZ manufacturers pressed for power wheeling and lower energy costs. Cabinet moved to license scrap metal exports and tighten import prepayments.

Sri Lanka moved to regulate virtual assets, with Cabinet approving a framework naming the SEC as VASP regulator, working with the Central Bank's FIU and IRD; cryptocurrencies remain unrecognised and banks/cards are barred from facilitating crypto transactions. Policymakers warned AI is reshaping software export economics, urging a pivot to products and IP, while IP reforms accelerate. Government also pushed digitisation via mandatory ETF e-payments.

Regulatory tightening dominated banks/finance as Cabinet named the SEC to regulate virtual asset service providers within a CBSL/FIU/IRD framework and approved a 2026-2030 national AML policy. The FIU flagged long-running trade-based money laundering via phantom imports, after probes found about $715m in fraudulent remittances. CBSL kept LTV caps on vehicle and gold loans. Services PMI signaled June expansion led by financial services.

Tea saw mixed signals: the June national sales average fell to Rs 1,153.49, while June production rose 4% YoY but first-half output was hit by extreme weather and higher fertiliser costs. Exporters gained relief as the US labour-related tariff on Sri Lankan goods was cut to 10%. Meanwhile, new EU sustainability rules are driving compliance efforts, and plantations report organised theft of high-value crops hurting competitiveness.

Consumer retail saw tighter standards and capacity moves. The Consumer Affairs Authority made SLS certification mandatory for all single-use sanitary towels from 8 October 2026, with import inspections. Pelwatte broke ground on a liquid milk plant in Kurunegala to expand fresh dairy. Exporters to the EU were briefed on EmpCo, PPWR and EUDR rules carrying penalties up to €2m or 4% of turnover. Indian SMEs held B2B sessions locally.

Sri Lanka advanced renewables, launching a 250 MW/1000 MWh battery storage tender and clearing funding to integrate rooftop solar and virtual net metering. The government also advanced grid and storage projects and named Delft, Analaitivu and Nainativu as Green Energy Islands. Business groups pressed for policy, grid and pricing reforms. Fuel prices were held steady as CPC absorbed diesel losses.