Chairman DiBella and Commissioner Harvey visit Indo Pacific Region

Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Laura DiBella and Commissioner Robert J. Harvey recently visited Sri Lanka and the Maldives, where they underscored the United States' economic stake in the region's maritime growth and highlighted the importance of regulatory strength, robust national security initiatives, and transparent investment environments.

Chairman DiBella delivered keynote remarks at the Colombo International Maritime and Logistics Conference (CIMC) before an audience of maritime leaders, policymakers, and logistics executives. She stressed that competition is essential to encourage innovation and foreign direct investment, highlighting that Sri Lanka must build a sturdy regulatory framework that supports long term growth and de-risks its business environment to attract greater capital. The Chairman said, "I see this so ripe for you here, everyone in Colombo, where business has the opportunity to really take the lead, and government has the opportunity to take the win." Her message centered the U.S.' desire to help Sri Lanka expand its maritime and logistics capacity while ensuring the country maintains full control over its economic future.

Commissioner Harvey participated in a panel discussion at CIMC alongside Managing Director for A.P. Moller Singapore René Piil Pedersen, Regional Indo-Pacific Strategy Coordinator for the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka Dustin Bickel, and Brandix Lanka CEO Ashroff Omar. Commissioner Harvey highlighted the FMC's enforcement posture and the global importance of resilient supply chains, telling the audience that, "If our global supply chains had the resilience of the Sri Lankan people, we'd be in much better shape." His remarks reinforced the delegation's broader message that a stronger, more transparent Port of Colombo directly supports both Sri Lanka's economic ambitions and the reliability of U.S. trade routes across the Indo-Pacific.

Beyond the conference, Chairman DiBella and Commissioner Harvey met with senior Sri Lankan officials and industry leaders, including the President's Special Envoy for Foreign Investment, the Minister of Ports, Civil Aviation, and Energy, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman, and representatives from the private logistics sector. They toured key infrastructure sites across the Port of Colombo, including the South Asia Gateway Terminal and the West Container Terminal, discussing port operations, digital infrastructure needs, and future development initiatives. The delegation also joined roundtables with apparel industry leaders and maritime stakeholders, reaffirming the FMC's commitment to close cooperation with Sri Lanka as the country navigates a pivotal moment for maritime growth and investment.

Chairman DiBella and Commissioner Harvey continued their Indo-Pacific engagement with a series of meetings in Malé, Maldives, focused on maritime development, national security, and the preservation of Maldivian sovereignty. In discussions with senior officials, including the Minister of Economic Development, Transport, and Trade, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Chief of Defence, and the National Security Advisor, the delegation examined how transparent, secure, and well-regulated ports can strengthen both commercial growth and national resilience. During boat tours of Malé Commercial Harbor and Thilafushi port, Chairman DiBella and Commissioner Harvey observed ongoing construction and gained a stronger understanding of how U.S. support, through specialized technology, emerging maritime infrastructure capabilities, and technical expertise, could aid Maldivian efforts to operate more efficiently and transparently while maintaining their economic sovereignty.

To better understand the country's maritime training and emergency-response capabilities, Chairman DiBella and Commissioner Harvey visited the Maldives National University's (MNU) Faculty for Maritime Studies and the MNDF Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) on Villimalé. Faculty on site described ongoing challenges in lecturer capacity and expressed interest in partnerships with international universities and U.S. maritime experts. MNDF officials detailed the MRCC's expanding role in coordinating distress calls, medevacs, and rescue operations across the archipelago, noting that U.S.-led training has been critical in developing a model that closely resembles the United States Coast Guard.

Robert Harvey and Laura DiBella are Commissioners with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission. The thoughts and comments expressed herein are their own and do not necessarily represent the position of the Commission.