Colombo port congestion & delays

Live berth congestion, expected added wait, active-storm exposure and the 14 shipping lanes served by Colombo (LK, LKCMB). Fused from IMF PortWatch, AIS dwell and the CMA/NHC/JTWC/GDACS weather feeds, refreshed hourly.

Colombo is the world's #40 most efficient container port (World Bank CPPI 2023) and handled 7.3M TEU in 2021, operated by Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT), South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT), Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

How congested is Colombo right now?

As of Jul 3, 2026, Colombo had an average vessel waiting time of about 2.1 days (holding steady), rated severe congestion, with 2 vessels waiting at anchor. Live figures update on this page as new AIS and PortWatch readings land.

The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.14 days. High congestion continues due to Middle East cargo diversions. High yard utilisation and inter-terminal delays are affecting productivity, prompting some carriers to adjust terminal allocations to manage capacity constraints.

• 14 shipping lanes tracked
• 12 carriers calling
• 554 sailings observed

Shipping lanes through Colombo

When Colombo is congested or storm-exposed, these lanes carry the delay risk. Open a lane to compare carriers by real on-time reliability and transit time.