Colombo Port records 11.9% growth in 1H container throughput

Saturday, 1 August 2026 01:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Anura Karunathilaka (left) and SLPA Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, at an inspection visit at the new SLPA central building construction site

The Colombo Port has handled 4,444,034 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) during the first six months of 2026, representing an 11.9% increase compared to 3,972,053 TEUs handled during the corresponding period in 2025.

Transshipment continued to be the Port’s main business, accounting for 84.7% of total container throughput. Transshipment volumes increased by 12.6% over the corresponding period of the previous year, while domestic container volumes recorded a healthy growth of 8.3%.

Among the Port’s container terminals, Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) handled 1,642,647 TEUs, accounting for 37% of the Colombo Port’s total container throughput during the six-month period.

The Port also recorded positive growth in vessel arrivals. During the first half of 2026, a total of 2,066 vessels called at the Port, compared to 2,016 vessels during the corresponding period in 2025, representing an overall increase of 2.5%.

Container vessel arrivals increased from 1,782 in 2025 to 1,797 in 2026, reflecting a 0.8% growth. Break-bulk vessel arrivals recorded a remarkable 55.6% increase, while liquid bulk vessel arrivals rose by 5.3%. Vessel calls for value-added maritime services—including bunkering, ship repairs, and chandelling—increased from 86 to 107, representing a significant 24.4% growth.

The Colombo Port continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading container ports and is steadily progressing towards becoming one of the top 15 busiest container ports globally. This progress is being driven by several strategic initiatives, including expanding terminal capacity through new developments, investing in state-of-the-art ship-to-shore cranes and yard equipment, accelerating the digitalisation of port operations, reducing vessel turnaround and waiting times, strengthening customs coordination, enhancing international marketing efforts, and expanding logistics and maritime services beyond traditional cargo handling.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake said that the sustained growth reflects the confidence that global shipping lines and customers continue to place in the Port of Colombo.

“As we expand capacity and modernise our operations, our focus remains on delivering world-class port services with greater efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. Growth must be sustainable. We aim not only to increase throughput but also to enhance productivity, connectivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction,” he added.