Financial Chronicle – Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port, backed by China, reported a significant increase in container handling volumes, rising by 705 percent to 428,036 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025. The port plans to further enhance its capacity to two million TEUs.
The Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG), a collaboration between the Sri Lanka Port Authority and China’s CM Ports group, initially ventured into the container business in 2023, managing just 44 containers. In 2024, additional equipment was installed, boosting the capacity to a million TEUs.
HIPG announced, “Scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, the second phase will increase the port’s annual container handling capacity to approximately 2 million TEUs.” This expansion will involve the allocation of four dedicated container berths and the addition of new equipment, including six quay cranes (QCs) and sixteen rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTCs).
In 2024, the port invested $41 million in acquiring four new quay cranes and thirteen rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs), supplementing the existing two quay cranes and three RTGs.
The containers handled 5.43 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, a substantial increase from 657,504 tonnes in 2024, showcasing the port’s rapid emergence as a significant container gateway within a single year.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port aimed for 8.2 million TEUs in 2025, with Red Sea disruptions boosting volume and a new terminal by India’s Adani and John Keells group contributing to the increase.
Bulk and break bulk volumes at Hambantota grew by 32 percent to 1.18 million metric tonnes. “2025 was not an easy year to be a port,” stated Wilson Qu, Chief Executive Officer of Hambantota International Port Group. “What makes this performance remarkable is not just the scale of growth, but that it was achieved amid sustained global disruption. These volumes reflect customer confidence, operational flexibility, aggressive marketing strategies in Sri Lanka and internationally, as well as the commitment of our team.”
Oil and gas volumes remained stable at 661,131 metric tonnes, reflecting the softer global energy market conditions. Roll-on/roll-off vehicle volumes increased by 25 percent to 726,153 vehicles in 2025. Hambantota Port is focusing on becoming a regional vehicle transshipment hub. Additionally, Sri Lanka reopened vehicle imports in 2025, having banned them in 2020 due to macroeconomic challenges and inflationary open market operations.
Overall, HIPG handled 8.24 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025, an increase of 175 percent from 3.0 million metric tonnes in 2024, with growth observed across container, RORO, and bulk cargo segments. (Colombo/Jan11/2026)
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