The Port of Colombo has recorded a strong start to 2018, with transhipment volumes up by 20.4% at its three main terminals in January.
Collectively, Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT), South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) and Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) handled 436,303 teu of transhipment volumes in January, well over the 362,451 teu recorded in the same month last year.
Container throughput at the port grew by 16.4% to 564,155 teu, with the increase mainly attributable to the strong rise in transhipment.
In January this year, 332 container vessels called at the Port of Colombo compared to 304 in the same period of last year, an increase of 9.2%.
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has prepared a Three Year Development Plan to expedite the port sector development process in the country, aimed at further increasing container volumes and making Colombo “the maritime centre in Asia”.
Last year, the port handled 6.2m teu, up from 5.7m teu in 2016.
