Congestion at the Colombo Port has prompted several vessels to bypass the terminal due to berthing delays of two to three days. These delays are attributed to a shortage of deep-draft capacity and adverse weather conditions, which have led to a 30% decline in overall port productivity and prolonged turnaround times.
As a result, some vessels have rescheduled their arrivals, skipping Colombo entirely and redirecting to India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT). These vessels, originating from ports such as Singapore, Korea, and Shanghai, have chosen alternative routes to avoid the delays, according to industry sources.
Shipping lines are increasingly challenged by the limited capacity of the Colombo Port. Deep-draft berths are in short supply, and with the Adani terminal not yet fully operational, the overall capacity remains insufficient to meet demand.
The operational inefficiencies are evident in the drop in container handling speeds — once averaging 30 moves per hour, the rate has now fallen to 22 moves per hour. This slowdown reflects a 30% reduction in port productivity, compounding the frustration among stakeholders in the shipping industry.
The congestion, which has persisted for several weeks, has become a major concern for shippers. Compounding the issue are procedural delays in cargo clearance, reportedly due to inadequate equipment among regulatory authorities. In one case, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) was unable to test imported products due to a lack of proper equipment, resulting in a nearly five-month delay in releasing the goods, even though they were held under a bank guarantee.
Addressing the ongoing disruptions, Global Shippers Forum Chairman Sean Van Dort voiced his concerns:
“Why are these shortcomings not being addressed at a governmental level? As taxpayers, we are burdened with the consequences of their inefficiency while they appear unconcerned.”
