Colombo, Nov 7 (PTI) An apex body of Sri Lanka’s apparel exporters on Friday demanded reforms at the Colombo port and claimed that traders are losing their competitiveness in the region due to its efficiency plagued by delays.

“While Sri Lanka struggles with inefficiency, our regional competitors are moving ahead. India’s new Vizhinjam Port and others in Singapore and Dubai now offer seamless digital coordination, faster vessel turnaround, and fully automated systems.

“As a result, some of the transshipment traffic that once came through Colombo is now being diverted,” the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) statement said.

The JAAF pointed out how over the past few months, several shipping lines have started bypassing Colombo, sometimes just a day or two before arrival.

The bypassi

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