COLOMBO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Hambantota International Port (HIP) closed 2025 with its strongest performance to date, posting a 175-percent year-on-year increase in total cargo volumes despite one of the most difficult years for the global port industry, Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) said Sunday in a press statement.

The HIP handled 8.24 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025, up from 3 million metric tonnes in 2024, driven by sharp growth in container, roll-on/roll-off (RORO) volumes and bulk cargo amid volatile trade flows, supply chain disruptions and higher operating costs worldwide, the HIPG said.

Container operations recorded the most significant expansion. Throughput surged from 53,170 TEUs in 2024 to 428,036 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, while containerized cargo tonnage grew from 657,504 metric tonnes to 5.43 million metric tonnes, marking HIP's rapid rise as a major container gateway, the HIPG said.

RORO volumes also rose, reaching 726,153 units in 2025 compared with 579,362 the previous year, while bulk and break-bulk cargo climbed 32 percent to 1.18 million metric tonnes. Oil and gas volumes remained stable at 661,131 metric tonnes, it said.

The port's second-phase expansion, scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, is expected to increase annual handling capacity to around 2 million TEUs. The project includes four dedicated container berths, six quay cranes and sixteen rubber-tyred gantry cranes, the statement said. ■