Customs Union Meeting Disrupts Port Operations 📈

Private sector stakeholders have raised concerns over a sudden halt in cargo clearance yesterday, as officers at Sri Lanka Customs suspended work to attend a union meeting. • Overall Impact: Import and export operations effectively came to a standstill starting around 1:00 p.m. While Colombo-based officers attended the meeting, outstation staff reportedly awaited instructions, causing a localized paralysis of trade logistics. • Operational Update: A Customs spokesperson confirmed a two-hour afternoon meeting but stated that duties resumed shortly after. The specific agenda of the union meeting remains undisclosed by the administration. • Industry Concerns: The private sector warned that even brief stoppages trigger a "domino effect," resulting in: • Increased demurrage and terminal charges. • Disruption of tightly scheduled supply chains. • Delays for time-sensitive shipments, affecting the apparel & textiles and perishable sectors. The incident underscores the continued vulnerability of Sri Lanka’s external trade to internal administrative disruptions, despite ongoing efforts to enhance border agency predictability.