The Port of Colombo has been ranked the world’s fastest growing port for the first half of 2018, according to a report by Alphaliner.
Colombo recorded a 15.6% growth rate between January and June 2018, when compared to the same period of 2017, while the second-placed Port of Singapore grew by 11.6%.
Guangzhou ranked third with 8.6% growth, followed by Antwerp and Xiamen, which posted figures of 8.3% and 7.6% respectively.
This marks the first time in the Port of Colombo’s history that it has reached the top of a global maritime ranking, leaping ahead of major ports in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Neil Davidson discusses the 'Mega-Alliance Impact' affecting ports in a recent Port Technology technical paper
The three terminal operators at the Port of Colombo – Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) under SLPA, South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT), and Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) – recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to operate collectively.
As part of the new agreement, which is expected to minimize the total turnaround time of container vessels, all three terminals are able to promote the Port of Colombo collaboratively in the arena of international maritime business.
According to a statement by the Port of Colombo, “the positive increase at SLPA controlled terminals, and especially the Jaya Container Terminal, is reasoned towards direct and straight forward decisions.
“The recognition of credibility towards the management has encouraged the employees of SLPA to dedicatedly contribute towards efficient service, along with collaborative support by all parties and stakeholders engaged in the port operations.
Colombo handled 6.2 million containers in 2017, a record for the port.
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