Sri Lanka is targeting a major transformation of its maritime and logistics sector, aiming to increase the industry’s contribution to GDP from the current 2.5% to 10% and establish the country as a leading logistics hub in the Indian Ocean.
The focus was highlighted at the eighth Colombo International Maritime Conference (CIMC) 2026, which brought together more than 500 policymakers, port and terminal operators, shipping lines and development agencies under the theme “Building a World Around Us.”
With the Port of Colombo strategically located along the East-West shipping route and handling nearly 80% of its container volumes as transshipment cargo, speakers stressed that Sri Lanka must move beyond traditional vessel-to-vessel transfers. The proposed model includes free-port zones, bonded logistics centres, multi-country consolidation, transit value addition and re-export operations.
The conference also reviewed plans to nearly double new container capacity by 2027 and expand combined capacity at Colombo and Hambantota ports by 2040. The East Container Terminal and West Container Terminal are central to this expansion, alongside efforts to improve berth productivity, yard operations and the handling of ultra-large container vessels.
U.S. Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Laura DiBella, the chief guest, said Colombo has “immense” growth potential and stressed the importance of competition and preventing cartel activity, excessive surcharges and practices that ultimately raise costs for consumers.
Digital transformation was identified as another priority, with calls for a single-window Port Community System, electronic bills of lading, automated workflows and AI-driven berth and traffic management. Customs modernization and stronger cybersecurity were also highlighted.
The conference further identified opportunities in ship bunkering, green fuels, marine engineering, ship repair and dry-docking, particularly as global shipping moves towards decarbonisation.
World Bank Senior Infrastructure Specialist Amali Rajapaksa said strengthening government procurement capacity was critical to accelerating infrastructure development, noting that procurement accounts for a major share of implementation challenges.
With India’s trade and economy expanding rapidly, CIMC 2026 positioned Sri Lanka to capture a larger share of South Asian logistics demand. The conference called for regulatory stability, modern maritime legislation and a predictable investment environment to support foreign investment and establish Sri Lanka as a fully integrated maritime and logistics hub for the Indian Ocean.