Sri Lanka, Oct. 23 -- Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) expects a sustained return of container shipping through the Red Sea and Suez Canal to create fresh commercial opportunities, as the port prepares to expand its annual container handling capacity to two million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first quarter of 2027.Track Sea Cargo

The outlook follows maritime consultancy Linerlytica's October 2026 forecast of a full-scale return of container shipping to the Suez route by the first quarter of next year, although the pace will depend on security conditions and shipping lines' decisions. Bindu Ranasinghe, HIPG General Manager - Commercial and Marketing, said disruptions in the Red Sea had accelerated the port's entry...