Hambantota port receives 1,560 used vehicles consignment on seven seats vessel

Hambantota International Port (HIP) received a consignment of 1,560 used vehicles, marking the first shipment on a Seven Seals vessel to the port since the lifting of the import ban.

Among the arrivals were four High and Heavy units, with the rest comprising popular models such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, Prado, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota Raize, Honda Vezel, Daihatsu, and Suzuki Wagon R from Japan.

The shipment was delivered via roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel MV Viking Drive, operated by Seven Seals Company Ltd., locally represented by Marine International Agencies Pvt Ltd. The company, which played a key role in developing HIP as a vehicle import hub between 2015 and 2020, is set to expand operations together with their principals Seven Seals Japan, as local demand picks up.

With the lifting of restrictions, import demand is rising, and Seven Seals has already scheduled another shipment for early May. The Viking Drive, measuring 164 meters in length and 28 meters in width, has a capacity of approximately 3,500 vehicles. The RORO vessel follows a route from Japan, transiting through Bangladesh before returning.