30/07/2026
📊 Morning Summary (Thursday)
🏡 Local
• Apparel exports: Sri Lanka's apparel sector faces stricter EU GSP+ requirements, making compliance essential to retain valuable export benefits.
https://tinyurl.com/5bj5s4xe
• PickMe: Generated Rs. 22 billion in income for drivers and merchants during Q1 FY2026/27, highlighting the growth of the gig economy.
https://tinyurl.com/mzdkp7mk
• Wendy's Sri Lanka: John Keells Holdings (JKH) will open the country's first Wendy's outlet in December.
https://tinyurl.com/59vapbnm
• Tourism: Visitor arrivals exceeded 1.3 million in July, with Indian tourists leading the recovery.
https://tinyurl.com/m3d2bnhj
• Public Finance: COPF has requested a report on the impact of rupee depreciation on foreign debt costs and import tax revenue.
https://tinyurl.com/rjcffvdp
• Pharmaceuticals: SLPMA has urged the Government to introduce a long-term pharmaceutical buyback scheme to encourage local manufacturing and investment.
https://tinyurl.com/5wfskwxz
• Trade Relations: COYLE and the Indian Chamber of Commerce signed an MoU to strengthen trade and investment between Sri Lanka and India.
https://tinyurl.com/yc3ae8xp
• Climate & Fisheries: The UK launched a £2.34 million "Resilient Waves" project to support climate-resilient fisheries and coastal communities.
https://tinyurl.com/4pn683vt
• Intellectual Property: Sri Lanka is accelerating IP law reforms to improve innovation protection and attract greater U.S. trade and investment.
https://tinyurl.com/4t4vdyez
🌏 Global
• U.S. Federal Reserve: The Fed kept interest rates unchanged, while mixed signals from policymakers created uncertainty in financial markets regarding future monetary policy.
https://tinyurl.com/4snsdkxj
Key Takeaway:
Today's highlights focus on exports, tourism, investment, local manufacturing, trade partnerships, and policy reforms, while globally, attention remains on the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision and its impact on markets.
Warsh said little about the mix of risks and nothing about the outlook for the policy rate.
