A cargo vessel berthed at theColombo Port

The highest ever monthly container throughput in the history of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority was recorded in August 2007 which is 165,000 TEUs.

The previous highest volume of 163,791 TEUs was reported by SLP Authority in August 2006.

The Colombo Port has handled 2,233,929 TEUs during the first eight months of 2007 reflecting an increase of 12.2 per cent when compared with the last year corresponding volume.

Transhipment container throughput (Including re-stow) which accounts for 76.5 per cent of the total Colombo volume had a growth of 14.0 per cent. The domestic volume has reported an increase of 6.8 per cent.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has handled 1,232,647 TEUs during the first eight months of 2007 reflecting an increase of 8.4 per cent when compared with last year’s corresponding volume.

Unity Container Terminal was able to maintain a continuous higher growth rate throughput the first eight months of 2007 when compared with last year’s corresponding volume.

The total cargo tonnage handled in the Colombo Port during the first eight months in 2007 has increased to 28,728 thousand tonnes, from that of previous year’s 26,096 thousand tonnes reflecting an increase of 10.1 per cent.

Containerised cargo tonnage has recorded a considerably higher growth (13.7 per cent). This is mainly due to the significant increase in transhipment container cargo tonnage during the period under review.

The Break Bulk tonnage and Liquid Bulk cargo tonnage has declined by 15.5 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively. A comparison of ship arrivals during the first eight months of 2007 with the corresponding period in last year shows that the total ship arrivals had increased from 2,818 to 2,882 by 2.3 per cent.

The number of containerships increased from 2,318 in 2006 to 2,419 in 2007 recording an increase of 4.4 per cent.
(DN - 20092007)