Colombo Port Sees 1Q25 Transshipment Dip amid Shipping Shifts
- CNL Reporter
- April 25, 2025
- News
- Colombo Port
- 0 Comments
Transshipment volumes at the Port of Colombo declined by 6.3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, totaling 1.53 million TEUs, down from 1.64 million in 1Q24.
The drop contrasts with strong growth seen in 2024 due to Red Sea disruptions. Early 2025 saw major shipping lines withdrawing services amid congestion, and these have yet to return.
March recorded a smaller YoY decline of 3.3%, but all three months saw reduced volumes. Transshipment’s share of total throughput fell to 79% from 82% last year.
Overall container throughput dropped 3.6% YoY to 1.94 million TEUs. Terminal-wise, SLPA terminals (JCT, UCT, ECT) handled 620,229 TEUs, down 5%, while CICT dropped 9.6% to 807,557 TEUs. SAGT was the only terminal to record growth, rising 9.2% to 504,790 TEUs.
