Locally manufactured trailers were exported to Australia from Hambantota International Port (HIP) on the RORO vessel ‘Atlas Leader’ which called at the southern port last week. The manufacturer, Dutch Lanka Trailers, has moved towards using this form of shipping of their trailers which is proving to be more cost effective than containerisation. This is the third shipment facilitated by Hambantota International Port for Dutch Lanka Trailers to date.
“We are aggressively marketing this option with our global operator customers and also trying various innovative options to overcome the extremely high freight rates. Our entry into RORO saw our trailers being exported from Hambantota to Jamaica. Since then we have expanded it to Sudan and Australia. We are working on a fourth global destination from HIP and expect repeat orders from these importers. We appreciate the continued support by Hambantota International Port,” says Ajith Gunasekara, GM Marketing and Sales, Dutch Lanka Trailers.
The COO of Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) Tissa Wickramasinghe says the expansion in the RORO business for HIP is creating strong global connectivity on the East-West routes. “This provides a great opportunity for Sri Lankan manufacturers such as Dutch Lanka Trailers who manufacture products to meet global demand and use Hambantota International Port to make their businesses more viable.”