COLOMBO, – Today , Tuesday, Oct. Y27, U.S. Ambassador Eric Meyer addressed port stakeholders from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, and Maldives at a U.S. Embassy-hosted regional workshop showcasing how trusted, secure American technology can transform maritime trade. Bringing together regional port decisionmakers and 11 American technology companies, the workshop highlights U.S. innovations that can streamline port operations, move cargo faster, reduce shipping costs, and strengthen supply chains, while opening new commercial opportunities for American businesses across the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Kodithuwakku and Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake joined the Ambassador for the opening.
Building on the United States’ recent announcement of a $17 million grant to modernize the Port of Colombo, the two-and-a-half-day workshop, Advancing Maritime Single Windows and Port Community Systems, focuses on the digital infrastructure that keeps modern ports moving. The U.S. grant will support the development of two connected systems: a Maritime Single Window (MSW), allowing ships to submit arrival, departure, and regulatory information through one digital platform, and a Port Community System (PCS), connecting shipping companies, port operators, Customs, Immigration, and businesses to exchange cargo and logistics information in real time. Together, these systems will replace fragmented paperwork and processes with a more efficient, connected network—helping information move ahead of cargo, accelerating approvals, and reducing costly delays.
“The Port of Colombo has earned its place as a major gateway for global trade, connecting American businesses to markets across South Asia and beyond,” said U.S. Ambassador Eric Meyer. “American innovation can help write the next chapter of that story. When ports operate smarter, ships spend less time waiting, businesses spend less money moving goods, and families benefit from more reliable trade. We want U.S. companies at the forefront of this transformation, bringing world-class technology and expertise to strengthen the supply chains our economies depend on and open new doors for American businesses across the Indian Ocean.”
“Behind every ship arriving in Colombo is a network of people, businesses, and systems that keeps global trade moving,” said Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Kodithuwakku. “By improving how our ports operate and how information is shared, we can reduce delays, lower costs for Sri Lankan exporters and importers, and make our businesses more competitive in international markets. Our partnership with the United States brings valuable technology and expertise to this effort, strengthening Colombo’s role as a regional trade hub and the supply chains connecting Sri Lanka to the world.”
“The future competitiveness of the Port of Colombo will depend not only on how much infrastructure we build, but also how efficiently we utilize the infrastructure we already have. These two digital systems—PCS and MSW—will help us achieve precisely that,” said Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake.
Eleven U.S. technology companies participating in the workshop include CargoSprint (Advent eModal), Cavotec USA, Concentric Industries, ESGPlus, Kale Info Solutions USA, Kaleris, Kavi Global, OptiRiver USA, OSI Systems/Rapiscan Systems, SANS Institute, and Varex, showcasing American solutions in port management, cargo tracking, cybersecurity, and secure data exchange. Experts from the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are also sharing their experience in modern port operations, trade facilitation, and security.
The workshop is organized under the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, an initiative supporting more efficient, secure, and digitally connected ports across the Indo-Pacific.
