📈 Colombo Port Container Volumes Up 10.3% YoY to 5.99M TEUs (Jan–Aug 2026)

The Port of Colombo recorded strong performance in the first eight months of 2026, driven primarily by transshipment activity, according to provisional Central Bank data. • Overall Growth: Total container handling reached 5.99 million TEUs in Jan–Aug 2026 (up 10.3% YoY). August volumes rose 4.7% YoY to 776,300 TEUs. • Transshipment Surge: Transshipment volumes grew 10.9% YoY to 4.83 million TEUs in the eight-month period, accounting for over 80% of total port traffic. August transshipment reached 638,843 TEUs (up 7.8% YoY). • Domestic Traffic: Domestic import/export containers dropped 12.5% YoY in August to 99,373 TEUs, though cumulative eight-month volume remained up 4.1% YoY at 893,291 TEUs. • Re-stowing: Fastest-growing segment, expanding 22.4% YoY to 273,588 TEUs in Jan–Aug. • National Cargo & Vessel Traffic: Total cargo handled across Sri Lanka’s four major ports (Colombo, Galle, Trincomalee, Hambantota) rose 6.5% YoY to 90.11 million MT in Jan–Aug. Ship arrivals increased 5.8% YoY to 3,527 vessels. • Global Ranking & Outlook: Driven by 1H 2026 growth, Colombo climbed to 20th place globally among container ports (up from 26th at end-2025). The SLPA is targeting up to US$ 2 Bn in infrastructure investments and PPPs over 1–3 years. _(Data based on provisional SLPA figures published by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.)_