Sri Lanka, March 25 -- The transshipment volumes at the Port of Colombo declined for the second straight month in February, as the services that earlier pulled out of Colombo, amidst heavy congestion, were yet to return to the port.

This marks a stark contrast to the robust growth the port experienced during the first and latter parts of 2024, when it benefited from the diversions caused by the disruptions in the Red Sea. The transshipment volumes dropped by 9.2 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 479,942 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). This decline is particularly concerning, given the port's strong performance in 2024, when it capitalised on the increased traffic from the Red Sea crisis.

However, mainline shipping lines earlier this ...