India-Pakistan tension triggers transhipment surge in Colombo Port
Colombo, May 13 (Daily Mirror) - In the aftermath of India and Pakistan imposing a ban on the use of their ports for each other, the Colombo port has benefited in terms of increased transhipment volumes, an official said yesterday.
India on Saturday imposed a ban on the import of goods coming from or transiting through Pakistan and also the entry of Pakistani ships into its ports, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country is committed to take "firm and decisive" action against terrorists and their backers.
In response, Pakistan has banned the use of its ports by Indian flag carriers.
Deputy Minister of Ports and Aviation Janitha Kodithuwakku told Daily Mirror that transhipment business for the Colombo port had increased under the current circumstances. He said that the volume increased by 4,000 20-foot equivalent (TEUs) units during two days last week.
The transhipment volumes handled by the Colombo port jumped by 9.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to a record high of 6.31 million TEUs in 2024, with the transhipment volumes accounting for 81 per cent of the port's container throughput during the year.
The Deputy Minister said the port authorities were working out modalities to deal with the increased business opportunities under the current circumstances.
Transhipment at Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port started to increase in early 2023 as Houthi rebels targeted Red Sea shipping in the wake of Israel's bombing of the Gaza Strip.
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