ECONOMYNEXT – US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Laura DiBella and FMC Commissioner Robert J Harvey will visit Sri Lanka to advance American trade interests, the US Embassy said.

The visit is “to advance US-Sri Lanka cooperation on maritime trade, investment, and the shipping networks connecting American businesses and consumers to markets across the Indo-Pacific”.

Sri Lanka plays an important role in keeping global trade moving, the embassy said.

“Over 80 percent of the containers moving through Colombo continue on to destinations around the world — a remarkable illustration of Sri Lanka’s role at the heart of Indian Ocean shipping,” US Ambassador Eric Meyer said.

“DiBella’s visit recognizes the importance of that role and provides an opportunity to deepen our cooperation with the people and institutions that keep this vital trade moving across the Indo-Pacific.

“Secure and efficient shipping creates opportunities for American businesses, strengthens Sri Lanka’s position as a regional hub, and supports prosperity in both our economies.”

DiBella and Harvey will meet with government and maritime leaders during the visit from September 6–10.

DiBella will also address the Colombo International Maritime and Logistics Conference and Harvey will serve on a panel.

The Federal Maritime Commission is the independent federal agency responsible for regulating the US international ocean transportation system for the benefit of US exporters, importers, and consumers. (Colombo/Sep4/2026)

ECONOMYNEXT — Sri Lanka authorities have urged farmers to complete sowing by mid-October to withstand heavy rains and prepare for an El Niño-driven dry spell early next year.

The island nation is targeting approximately 830,000 hectares for paddy cultivation in the upcoming 2026/27 Maha season.

The advisory follows meteorological forecasts indicating above-average rainfall across the island in October and November due to prevailing El Niño conditions and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole.

Rains are expected to drop sharply from January as temperatures climb.

Department of Agriculture Director General G G Wickramasinghe urged farmers to begin land preparation immediately with late September rains and finish sowing between October 15 and October 25.

Sowing early ensures crops are roughly a month old before intense November downpours arrive, preventing flood damage and allowing 3.5-month varieties to be harvested in late January before the dry spell sets in.

She noted that strict water discipline this season is vital to guarantee a successful Yala season in 2027.

To conserve water, the department advised farmers to avoid long-duration paddy varieties and adopt Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation, introduced by the Rice Research and Development Institute in Batalagoda to save roughly three full irrigation turns.

“After establishing the crop, keep the field flooded for about two weeks, and then allow the water to gradually deplete over the next two weeks,” Wickramasinghe said.

Director General of the Department of Meteorology in Sri Lanka is A L K Wijemannage said the World Meteorological Organization has indicated near-100 percent certainty that the El Niño event will persist through February, peaking between October and November.

“Moving into next year — particularly January, February, and March — temperatures will climb further while rainfall drops, leading us into a distinctly dry and warm period,” Wijemannage said.

To protect water reserves and cut imports, the Department of Agriculture is urging water-deficit paddy tracts to transition to Other Field Crops (OFCs) such as maize, green gram, cowpea, and finger millet.

Farmers shifting to OFCs on paddy lands will remain fully eligible for fertilizer subsidies, the officials said. (Colombo/Sep4/2026)

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Colombo Stock Exchange indices were trading up on Friday morning, CSE data showed, with the benchmark All Share Price Index moving up 0.37 percent.

The ASPI was up 79.28 points at 21,474.39, while the more liquid S&P SL20 was up 0.47 percent, or 27.95 points, at 6,023.20.

Positive contributors to the ASPI were Hatton National Bank (up 0.66 percent at 379.75 rupees), Dialog Axiata (up 0.86 percent at 46.90 rupees), Royal Ceramics Lanka (up 2.51 percent at 49.10 rupees), Ceylon Cold Stores (up 1.85 percent at 124.00 rupees), Sunshine Holdings (up 2.08 percent at 29.40 rupees), and Sampath Bank (up 0.18 percent at 139.00 rupees).

Commercial Development Company (down 2.51 percent at 35.00 rupees) was a top negative contributor.

Market turnover was 248.3 million rupees. Materials led turnover with 108.98 million rupees.

Kotagala Plantations said it had resolved to amalgamate with its 99.999 percent owned subsidiary, Rubber and Allied Products (Colombo), subject to shareholder approval.

Under the proposed amalgamation, minority shareholders holding a combined 9 shares in Rubber and Allied Products will receive a cash consideration of 8.10 rupees per share, while the parent company’s shares will be cancelled.

Kotagala Plantations shares were trading up 1.23 percent at 8.20 rupees. (Colombo/September04/2026)

ECONOMYNEXT – The Benelux union could be used as a sandbox for Sri Lankan exporters’ further European integration, including its role in linking to the Port of Rotterdam, Ambassador of the Netherlands Wiebe de Boer has said.

Sri Lanka’s GSP+ access remains in place until 2029, with a two-year window to reapply under a new regime, he noted, and “expressed hope that Sri Lanka could eventually progress from GSP+ to a full Free Trade Agreement with the EU, similar to the EU-India FTA signed this year.”

He raised concerns over bureaucratic hurdles facing entrepreneurs, citing delays in quality-control clearances and restrictive foreign investment caps.

He was speaking as chief guest at annual general meeting of The Sri Lanka-Benelux Business Council (SLBBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Council President Farhath Amith called for continued Benelux support to extend Sri Lanka’s GSP+ status by a further five years, noting key sectors for collaboration, including renewable energy, floriculture, agriculture and agro-processing (including GI-certifiable crops such as cocoa and vanilla), eco-tourism, the coconut industry, and healthcare.

The process of selecting Sri Lankan spices and agricultural commodities for GI Certification has been very slow over the years, he said, causing the country to miss out on expanding export market opportunities to the EU.

“With the Netherlands serving as the gateway for the floriculture industry in the EU, Sri Lanka should be considered as the hub in South Asia for the tropical ornamental plants and cut-foliage trade,” he said.

Amith, Director of Fanam International, was re-elected president for the 2026/2027 term, while Shaameel Mohideen (Spillburg Holdings) and P M Abeysekara (Vinu International Trading Company) were reappointed senior VP and vice president respectively.

The council elected committee members representing Andrew The Travel Company, MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Maliban Healthcare, Propylon One Private Limited, Sri Lanka Technology Development Corporate Society, and Thames International Educational Consultancy, Sajith Wijenayake, (Aitken Spence Travels) will continue to serve on the committee as immediate past president. (Colombo/Sep4/2026)

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rupee closed at 328.45/60 to the US dollar in the spot market on Thursday, from 328.30/60 the previous day, while bond yields closed higher, dealers said.

A bond maturing on 15.09.2027 closed at 9.55/75 percent, down from 9.55/85 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.02.2028 closed at 9.95/10.05 percent, down from 9.90/10.00 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.12.2029 closed at 10.35/45 percent, up from 10.30/38 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.08.2030 closed at 10.65/70 percent, up from 10.48/50 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.10.2030 closed at 10.68/75 percent, up from 10.52/58 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.02.2031 closed at 10.70/77 percent, up from 10.57/62 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.12.2032 closed at 11.10/20 percent, up from 11.00/10 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.06.2033 closed at 11.40/50 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.10.2034 closed at 11.65/75 percent, up from 11.62/65 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.08.2036 closed at 11.80/90 percent, up from 11.78/85 percent. (Colombo/Sep3/2026)