COLOMBO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Port of Colombo has recorded a 13.9 percent increase in container handling volumes during the first four months of 2026, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said on Wednesday.
Cumulative container throughput from January to April 2026 reached over 2.91 million equivalent units, compared with 2.56 million equivalent units handled during the same period last year.
In April alone, the port handled 761,096 equivalent units, up 22 percent from April 2025, the SLPA said.
The Port of Colombo operates mainly as a transshipment port, with transshipment cargo accounting for more than 80 percent of its total operations, the SLPA said.
The SLPA plans to call for expressions of interest before the end of 2026 for the second phase of the West Container Terminal at the Port of Colombo.
The planned expansion is expected to add more than 3 million equivalent units to the port's annual handling capacity and strengthen Colombo's position along the East-West maritime trade route. ■
