Hambantota International Port (HIP) has surpassed one million TEUs in cumulative container throughput since the commissioning of new quay cranes in 2025, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of its container operations, according to the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) Pvt Ltd.

The port handled 428,036 TEUs in 2025 and a further 574,196 TEUs in 2026 year-to-date, bringing the combined volume to 1,002,232 TEUs.

HIPG CEO Wilson Qu said the milestone reflected growing customer confidence in the port and its emergence as a competitive container hub serving regional and international trade.

“Crossing one million TEUs is an important achievement for HIP and a strong indication of the confidence our customers are placing in the port,” Qu said.

He said the port’s container growth had been supported by engagement with shipping lines, operational reliability and its ability to respond to changing customer requirements.

MSC, HIP’s principal container-sector customer, has played a significant role in the growth of the port’s container operations.

In April 2026, HIP recorded a new single-vessel handling record when the MSC Marie Leslie completed 7,968 container moves, equivalent to 13,260 TEUs, during its call at the port. The performance surpassed records previously set by the MSC Ilenia and MSC Ruby in March.

HIP subsequently recorded its highest-ever monthly container throughput in June, handling 80,325 TEUs. The port said the figure reflected its operational capacity and engagement with shipping lines amid uncertainty affecting major global trade routes.

HIP is now undertaking a major expansion of its container-handling facilities, including investments in equipment, berth utilisation, container-yard capacity, reefer facilities and infrastructure to accommodate larger vessels.

The expansion includes six new quay cranes and 16 rubber-tyred gantry cranes as part of a wider USD 108 million investment in container-handling equipment and supporting assets. The new equipment is expected to be commissioned by the end of February 2027.

Once operational, the equipment is expected to increase ship-to-shore and yard-handling capacity and improve vessel turnaround times. It will also support the utilisation of an additional 1,300 metres of berth space, taking HIP’s total container quay length to nearly two kilometres.

The container yard is also set to be expanded by 30% to accommodate increasing volumes.

HIP Chief Operations Officer Tommy Yang said the investments were being aligned with the port’s growth trajectory and long-term customer demand.

“The one-million-TEU milestone shows that HIP’s container business is moving into a new stage of growth,” Yang said.

He said the expansion of equipment, berth, yard and reefer facilities would enable the port to handle higher volumes and larger vessels more efficiently while supporting its long-term target of handling two million TEUs annually.