Shrinking oil inventories, disrupted Middle East routes and new attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are creating a more complicated global supply problem. For Sri Lanka, the risk is not only expensive fuel: prolonged refinery disruption could also affect sulphur and phosphate-fertilizer supply chains.
The Federal Reserve has raised US interest rates for the first time since 2023 and signalled that another increase may follow. For Sri Lanka, the real story lies in the dollar, foreign capital, borrowing costs and the amount of room left for domestic monetary policy.
Sri Lanka was already paying nearly 60% more for fuel imports before Saudi Arabia’s vital East-West pipeline was knocked offline. With Hormuz still severely constrained and Red Sea risks rising, the next concern is not simply whether fuel is available, but how much it will cost to secure it.
AI risk once meant chatbots inventing facts. In 2026, the discussion has moved towards autonomous agents, cyber capability and AI helping build better AI. The evidence does not justify panic, but it does justify a much more serious approach to business risk.
Foreign purchases from Singapore rose from Rs. 2.6 billion in the year before the 2025 Invest Sri Lanka Forum to Rs. 7.7 billion in the year after. The increase is encouraging, but the bigger question is whether Sri Lanka can turn investor engagement into sustained participation.
The EU–India FTA has not yet entered into force, giving Sri Lanka a valuable preparation window. The real challenge is not losing EU access, but protecting competitiveness as Indian exporters gain stronger tariff advantages.
Sri Lanka is moving towards attracting investors for Mannar Basin gas development. The resource could improve energy security, but success depends on commercial viability, environmental safeguards and ensuring gas supports rather than delays the renewable transition.
The global wellness economy is forecast to approach US$9.8 trillion by 2029. Sri Lanka already has recognised natural, cultural and traditional-health assets, but capturing the opportunity requires more than promoting retreats.
Sri Lanka currently shares a 10% US Section 301 tariff with several apparel competitors. But Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia have been promised a pathway to Section 301-free quotas that Sri Lanka does not currently have.
Hela Apparel raised billions through an IPO and rights issue, secured international development financing and repeatedly restructured debt. Four years after listing, it says it can no longer pay its debts. What happened between growth and the balance sheet?
