Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port handles 7.7mn boxes is 2024, up 12.3-pct
Tuesday January 7, 2025
ECONOMYNEXT – State-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority said Colombo Port has handled 7.7 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEU) up 12.3 percent, with the agency’s own terminals seeing a 23 percent increase.
SLPA’s Jaye Container Terminal and the deep water East Container Terminal handled 2.4 million TEUs in 2024, up from 1.9 million in 2023.
China-backed Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) had handled 3.3 million TEUs.
South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) of John Keells Holdings had handled 2.0 million TEUs.
The performance had confirmed the the port’s status as a key hub in the South Asian region and its growing appeal to international shipping lines, SLPA said.
Sri Lanka has seen more containers bound for the Middle East being transshipped via Colombo amid Red Sea troubles even as some lines by-passed the island on their journey around Africa to Europe.
SLPA said Colombo West International Container Terminal (CWICT), backed by India’s Adani group is to start operations in February 2025.
The East Container Terminal (ECT) terminal, which is currently under development plans to attract more business in 2025, SLPA said.
The port’s total capacity is projected to double to 15 million TEUs by 2026. (Colombo/Jan07/2025)