Port of Colombo sees transshipment volumes dip in 1Q
- CNL Reporter
- April 28, 2025
- News
- Port of Colombo
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Transshipment volumes at the Port of Colombo experienced a decline in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. For the first three months ending March 2025 (1Q25), transshipment volumes fell by 6.3 percent year-on-year (YoY), totalling 1.53 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), down from 1.64 million TEUs in 1Q 2024.
This marks a stark contrast to the robust growth the port experienced during the first and latter parts of 2024, when it benefited from the diversions caused by the disruptions in the Red Sea. The contribution of transshipment to the port’s overall container throughput also decreased, accounting for 79 percent in 1Q25, compared to 82 percent during the same period in 2024.
Overall, the Port of Colombo handled a total container throughput of 1.94 million TEUs in 1Q25, representing 3.6 percent YoY decrease from the over 2 million TEUs handled in 1Q24.
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)-run Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), Unity Container Terminal (UCT), and East Container Terminal (ECT) collectively handled 620,229 TEUs, a five percent YoY decline.
The Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) processed 807,557 TEUs, marking a 9.6 percent YoY decrease. In contrast, the South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) saw a 9.2 percent YoY increase, handling 504,790 TEUs in 1Q25.
