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Opinion: Exposure to US tariffs through Global Value Chains in Asia & Pacific
On 2 April 2025, the United States introduced a two-tier tariff regime comprising a 10 per cent universal baseline tariff and elevated country-specific tariffs of up to 50 per cent, targeting 57 countries—including many in the Asia-Pacific—with limited exemptions. Although the country-specific tariffs were suspended on 9 April for all but China, policy uncertainty remains. […]
Deep Cuts to Growth Forecasts as Global Trade War Escalates: Fitch Ratings
Fitch Ratings has sharply lowered its forecasts for world growth in response to the severe escalation in the global trade war. In a special update to its quarterly Global Economic Outlook, Fitch has cut world growth in 2025 by 0.4pp and China and US growth by 0.5pp from the March edition. US annual growth in […]
TISL Welcomes Passage of Proceeds of Crime Act: A Landmark Step in SL’s Anti-Corruption Efforts
The Proceeds of Crime Act introduces non-conviction based asset forfeiture and strengthens Sri Lanka’s legal tools for recovering illicit assets, including those held abroad. The law shifts the burden of proof, enabling more effective recovery of stolen wealth and aligning Sri Lanka’s legal framework with international standards. TISL highlights the law’s focus on asset recovery […]
IMF staff team concludes visit to SL; discussions to continue toward reaching an agreement in near term
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Evan Papageorgiou visited Colombo from April 3 to 11, 2025. After constructive discussions in Colombo, Mr. Papageorgiou issued the following statement: “Sri Lanka’s ambitious reform agenda supported by the IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF) continues to deliver commendable outcomes. The post-crisis growth rebound of 5 percent in […]
VIDEO: Trump pauses higher tariffs for 90 days because of ‘Yippy’ Reaction but slaps China with 125-pct
President Trump announced he would impose a 125% tariff on China for retaliating against the U.S., while also announcing a 90-day pause on some tariffs.
Opinion: Sri Lanka’s Billion-Dollar Gamble for Energy Security Reshaping Global Energy Trade
By Jithendra Antonio The Hambantota Sinopec Oil Refinery – A Strategic Bet on the Future In the evolving landscape of global energy trade, few moves are as audacious as Sri Lanka’s decision to greenlight a multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in Hambantota. More than an infrastructure project, this refinery signals Sri Lanka’s ambition to reposition itself at […]
Sri Lanka’s growth recovery exceeded expectations but remains fragile
The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) flagship economic publication, the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2025, forecasts Sri Lanka’s recovery to continue at a moderate growth of 3.9% in 2025 and 3.4% in 2026 following the strong rebound in 2024. Economic recovery that began in the second half of 2023 continued across all sectors in 2024. Inflation […]
Sri Lanka launches the new National Anti-Corruption action plan
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) has officially launched the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) 2025-2029 today, as a strategic initiative to reaffirm the country’s commitment to strengthening governance, enhancing transparency, and reinforcing the rule of law. CIABOC led the development of the NACAP, supported by the technical expertise of the […]
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Frontier markets such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan (Caa2 positive) and Bangladesh, which do not have the capacity to import as much from the US and whose current account balances are relatively fragile, could see a worsening of their broader external positions that will potentially weigh further on the outlook for economic growth, according to the […]
Tariffs Have Mixed Fiscal Impact, Will Not Solve Underlying Challenges in US Economy, says Fitch Ratings
Tariff revenues will help narrow the US budget deficit in 2025, but the hit to economic growth and additional tax cuts are likely to limit the size of any lasting fiscal benefit, Fitch Ratings says. Stabilizing US debt/GDP will be challenging as long as long-term spending pressures remain unaddressed. The tariffs announced on April 2 […]