en.Wedoany.com Reported - Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is restarting hub operations for maritime trade in South Asia, gradually shifting its Sri Lanka transshipment calls from Colombo Port to Hambantota Port (HIP), which is developed and operated by China Merchants Port Holdings.

MSC has replaced regular calls at Colombo with Hambantota Port on its Far East-South Africa Ingwe service, with the updated port rotation: Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-Shenzhen (Shekou)-Singapore-Port Louis-Ngqura-Durban-Port Louis-Hambantota-Hong Kong-Tianjin-Qingdao. The shipping line has also added a 12th vessel to the service to boost capacity and service reliability.

Industry sources said this port substitution will consolidate MSC's position in Asia-South Africa trade. In recent years, the Geneva-based shipping company has increased capacity on this corridor, having previously conducted a series of trial calls at Hambantota Port to "test the waters."

In April 2024, Hambantota Port, primarily designed as a multipurpose cargo gateway, launched container operations by hosting the call of the vessel "MSC Ingrid." At that time, China Merchants Port Holdings stated that under the partnership with MSC, HIPG would expand investments in equipment and other infrastructure, enabling the company to serve large vessels on east-west routes.

Hambantota Port has initiated multiple expansion projects to support regular calls for major container services, including a $108 million investment this year for port crane upgrades. China Merchants Port Holdings said the expansion will nearly double Hambantota Port's container throughput capacity to 2 million TEUs per year.

China Merchants Port Holdings noted that Hambantota Port's location, just 10 nautical miles from major east-west shipping routes, makes it a reliable and efficient choice for shipping lines seeking minimal deviation and operational stability.

Meanwhile, Colombo Port has faced capacity pressure for some time due to additional transshipment demand from geopolitical disruptions. Latest data shows that last month, the port's throughput reached a new high of 776,261 TEUs, compared to 761,096 TEUs in April, as Middle East-related diversions continue.

Competition for transshipment volumes in the subcontinent remains intense as new port development projects in India advance: Adani Ports' Vizhinjam Port is already operating at full capacity, with its Phase II expansion moving ahead ahead of schedule to meet anticipated demand. Data shows that Vizhinjam Port also set a monthly throughput record last month, handling 130,863 TEUs.

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