Colombo Port congestion worsens, with delays expected to last two more weeks due to cargo diversion and weather disruptions.
Congestion at the Port of Colombo continues to intensify. According to recent reports from local media, the port's congestion is expected to persist for approximately two more weeks, driven by a convergence of factors including increased cargo diversion from the Gulf region, limited berth availability, and adverse weather conditions. At the most severely affected deep-water terminals, vessel turnaround times have extended to as long as six days. The disruption is concentrated primarily at the Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) and Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) – the two facilities equipped to handle large-scale vessel calls.
As reported by regional trade media, a significant volume of cargo originally destined for Gulf ports has been redirected to South Asian gateways, placing Colombo at the center of elevated transshipment demand. With deep-water berths capable of accommodating large vessels in limited supply, the concentrated surge in cargo flows has placed considerable operational pressure on both CICT and CWIT. Compounding the situation, recent strong winds have disrupted vessel arrivals, departures, and berthing operations, further extending turnaround times across the affected terminals. By contrast, SAGT and Jaya Container Terminal are currently operating at relatively normal levels, with the congestion burden falling disproportionately on the deep-water facilities servicing large vessels. Industry observers on the ground anticipate that the current disruption will persist for approximately two additional weeks.
From a carrier operations perspective, delays at the Port of Colombo have become pronounced. In an operational update issued on 3 September, Hapag-Lloyd reported that window vessels calling at Colombo are expected to experience delays of 48 to 72 hours, attributing the disruption to elevated yard density, inter-terminal transfer backlogs reaching as high as 53,000 TEU, and adverse weather conditions.
Major Indian ports are under comparable strain: yard density at Nhava Sheva has exceeded 90%, with delays of up to 48 hours recorded, while Mundra is operating at over 77% yard density, with delays of up to 24 hours. In response to the developing situation, Hapag-Lloyd has adjusted select voyage schedules – its 3 September update confirms that the Mette Maersk voyage will omit its Colombo port call, with the relevant cargo discharged at Singapore instead.
On 7 September, CMA CGM issued a formal customer advisory explicitly warning that congestion at the Port of Colombo is expected to worsen. The carrier advised that the situation may result in extended waiting times, berthing delays, and operational disruptions, urging customers to build additional lead time into cargo arrangements transiting Colombo, given that both vessel and cargo schedules are subject to impact. Cargo relying on Colombo as a transshipment hub is particularly exposed: should upstream vessel delays materialize, the cascading effect on subsequent connecting services represents a further risk to delivery timelines.
The congestion gripping Colombo is not attributable to weather alone. Local media reports indicate that vessels and cargo unable to proceed to Gulf destinations have been redirected toward South Asian ports, substantially increasing the transshipment volume absorbed by Colombo. This diversion comes against a backdrop of robust organic growth at the port. In July, the Port of Colombo processed 774,500 TEU – a year-on-year increase of 7.3% – while throughput for the first seven months of the year reached 5.2185 million TEU, representing an 11.2% increase over the same period in the prior year. Transshipment cargo continues to dominate the port's activity mix: July transshipment volume reached 628,100 TEU, up 8.4% year-on-year, with transshipment and relay operations collectively accounting for 85.4% of the month's total throughput. The result is a port where structural growth in transshipment activity is being compounded by externally diverted cargo flows, placing compounding pressure on an already constrained stock of deep-water berths and yard capacity.
Looking further ahead, the Port of Colombo is advancing capacity development on multiple fronts. Phase 2 of CWIT is expected to reach completion before year-end, which will bring annual handling capacity at the terminal to approximately 3.2 million TEU. However, until that additional capacity is operationally commissioned, the prevailing congestion is likely to persist. For freight forwarders managing cargo routed through Colombo transshipment, South Asian trades, or Gulf-related services, the ongoing schedule volatility arising from port congestion warrants sustained and careful monitoring.
