The Sri Lanka Ports Authority says that the Colombo Port has been used as a transit point since the Houthi rebels started attacking ships in the Red Sea.

The port authority points out that the shipping windows at the three terminals of the port have demanded more shipping lines and the volume of counter-shipping from India has also increased.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority states that due to the strategic location of Colombo Port, ships transiting the port can easily access the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia.

The fact that the port of Colombo is the first port of call for ships passing through South Africa has also caused the traffic to increase.

The port authority also points out that since the next port of Singapore is far away, ships can reach Colombo port quickly.

Due to the congestion in Colombo port, 6.9 million 20 feet and 40 feet container operations have been carried out in the year 2023.

Due to the current situation, the authority believes that this amount will increase this year.

And because the ships traveling from Israel to Arab countries refuse to accept those countries, those ships also come to Colombo port and carry out reloading.

Due to the attacks of Houthi rebels, exporters who export goods from Sri Lanka to European countries have also been severely affected.

The Port Authority also says that the reason for this is the increase in shipping fees charged for traveling by other routes due to the inability to travel through the Red Sea.
(lknews.lk)