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, transshipment volumes fell by 6.3 per cent year on year, totalling 1.53 million TEU, down from 1.64 million TEU in the same period last year.
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 mainline shipping lines earlier this year pulled some of their services out of Colombo amidst heavy congestion, and those services were yet to return to the Port of Colombo.
On a positive note, in March, transshipment volumes saw a smaller YoY drop of 3.3 per cent compared to February's steeper decline. However, transshipment volumes declined during all three months of this year.
The contribution of transshipment to the port's overall container throughput also decreased, accounting for 79 per cent in the first quarter, compared to 82 per cent during the same period in 2024.
Overall, the Port of Colombo handled a total container throughput of 1.94 million TEU in the first quarter of the year, representing a 3.6 per cent year-on-year decrease from the over 2 million TEU handled in Q1 2024.
Analysing terminal performance for the quarter, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)-run Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), Unity Container Terminal (UCT), and East Container Terminal (ECT) collectively handled 620,229 TEU, a five per cent year-on-year decline.
The Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) processed 807,557 TEU, marking a 9.6 per cent year-on-year decrease. In contrast, the South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) saw a 9.2 per cent year-on-year increase, handling 504,790 TEU in the three-month period.
SeaNews Turkey
For the first three months ending March 2025, transshipment volumes fell by 6.3 per cent year on year, totalling 1.53 million TEU, down from 1.64 million TEU in the same period last year.
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 mainline shipping lines earlier this year pulled some of their services out of Colombo amidst heavy congestion, and those services were yet to return to the Port of Colombo.
On a positive note, in March, transshipment volumes saw a smaller YoY drop of 3.3 per cent compared to February's steeper decline. However, transshipment volumes declined during all three months of this year.
The contribution of transshipment to the port's overall container throughput also decreased, accounting for 79 per cent in the first quarter, compared to 82 per cent during the same period in 2024.
Overall, the Port of Colombo handled a total container throughput of 1.94 million TEU in the first quarter of the year, representing a 3.6 per cent year-on-year decrease from the over 2 million TEU handled in Q1 2024.
Analysing terminal performance for the quarter, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)-run Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), Unity Container Terminal (UCT), and East Container Terminal (ECT) collectively handled 620,229 TEU, a five per cent year-on-year decline.
The Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) processed 807,557 TEU, marking a 9.6 per cent year-on-year decrease. In contrast, the South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) saw a 9.2 per cent year-on-year increase, handling 504,790 TEU in the three-month period.
SeaNews Turkey
