Transhipment container volumes at Colombo Port edge up in August

Decline in overall volumes up to Aug. narrows 3.5% to 3.88mn TEUS. Restowing activities bounce back to PRE-COVID levels

Transhipment container volumes at the Port of Colombo stagnated in August, after recording a positive growth for the second straight month and reaching pre-pandemic levels in July, mainly due to an acute shortage of containers in the region, impacting the export volumes in India and Bangladesh.

The container transshipment volumes grew by one percent yearon-year (YOY) to 535,162 TEUS in August, after an 11.4 percent YOY increase in July. The key ports in India and Bangladesh are facing an acute shortage of containers to export their goods, as the exports bounced bank in the two countries, with the easing of pandemic-related travel restrictions.

Further, congestion in the Colombo Port running up to two to three weeks also contributed to delays in shipments for Indian exporters, according to media reports.