Colombo Port’s container throughput down over 5% in 2022 amid decline in transshipment and import container volumes

The container throughput at Port of Colombo declined by 5.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 6.86 million TEUs in 2022 driven by decline in transshipments and import container volumes, Sri Lanka’s Port Authority (SLPA) data showed. 
The transshipment volumes handled by the port declined by 3.7 percent YoY to 5.63 million TEUs, while transshipment volumes accounted for 82 percent of the port’s container throughput during the period. Although transshipment volumes recorded a growth in the first half of the year, the volumes started to decline from June as main shipping lines temporarily opted for alternative routes at the height of the country’s political and social unrest. The import container (laden)volumes declined sharply by 19.4 percent YoY to 441,062 TEUs while export container (laden) volumes dropped by 5.2 percent YoY to 301, 447 TEUs.

Similarly, restowing at the Port of Colombo also declined by two percent YoY to 196,269 TEUs.
The port’s only fully operational deep container terminal, Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) handled 3.18 million TEUs during the year, down marginally by 0.9 percent from 3.21 TEUs recorded in 2021.

Meanwhile, SLPA-managed Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) and its partially operational East Container Terminal (ECT) together handled 1.92 million TEUs in 2022, down by 12.4 percent from 2.2 million TEUs handled in 2021.
The container volumes handled by South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) declined by 4.7 percent YoY to 1.75 million TEUs in the year.
Overall ship traffic at the Port of Colombo recorded a marginal decline of 0.7 percent YoY to 3, 648 vessels. Despite the decline in volumes, the container ship traffic at the port rose by 3.4 percent YoY to 3, 282 ships during the year. In addition, there was a notable increase in ships calling at the port for bunkering purposes.