Colombo Port creates history in box handling during March

Colombo: Container handling throughput at the Port of Colombo indicates a steady growth for the first quarter of 2006.

The highest ever monthly container handling throughput in the history of the Port of Colombo was recorded in March 2006 which is 245,024 TEUs. It was 24,292 TEUs higher than the last highest monthly throughput achieved in August 2005, a Ports Authority release said.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) handled its highest ever volume in March 2006 recording a throughput of 143,577 TEUs. The previous highest volume of 139,534 at SLPA was in July 2001.

The total operations by SLPA for the first three months of 2006 reaches 399,114 TEUs against 348,797 TEUs handled for the same period in 2005, showing a positive change of 14.4 per cent.

The total container handling throughput by the port of Colombo for the first three months of 2005 and 2006 shows a positive change of 14.9 per cent reaching from 563,969 TEUs in 2005 to 647,977 TEUs in 2006.