⚓ Maersk Urges Sri Lanka to Capture Larger Share of Global Logistics Value Chain

Global logistics giant A.P. Moller-Maersk has called on Sri Lanka to expand beyond standard transshipment and build a broader maritime & logistics ecosystem to drive economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI). • Strategic Expansion: Maersk Singapore MD Rene Piil Pedersen highlighted that combining Colombo's strategic location on major shipping lanes with advanced logistics capabilities creates high-value regional trade ecosystems. • Value-Added Services: Sri Lanka is urged to adopt models like Singapore’s free-trade zones, focusing on high-value operations—such as specialized storage, relabeling, and re-exporting—to generate revenue without needing local manufacturing. • Benchmarking Regional Leaders: Countries like Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia were cited as prime examples where integrated port infrastructure and supply chain services successfully attracted significant FDI. • National Context: Transforming the Port of Colombo into a full-service logistics hub will help Sri Lanka capture a much larger share of the global supply chain, boosting trade resilience and regional integration.