On Friday, Oct. 30, the government of Sri Lanka announced more severe lockdowns in the capital city of Colombo after a large increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The restrictions barred travel for any non-essential purposes, which has led to labor shortages. Colombo serves as an important port of call, not just for exports from Sri Lanka but also as a Trans-Shipment point for cargo moving to and from India, Bangladesh, and other Southeast Asian countries.
Due to these lockdown restrictions, labor available to operate the busy port of Colombo has been severely restricted. While still operational, low levels of productivity are being reported which will lead to delays in cargo and vessel handling.
There are currently berthing delays, sailing delays, and ITT delays expected at the Colombo Port due to the congestion. Schedule disruptions and delays are likely and inevitable.
While we continue to closely monitor the situation, please reach out to your Mohawk Global representative with any further questions.