USAID helps HCM city customs reduce congestion at Cat Lai Port

The Cat Lai Port (Photo: VNA)

Over the past time, the Cat Lai project received the attention and funding of USAID. USAID Director in Vietnam Michael Greene hailed the efforts of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department in reducing congestion at Cat Lai Port and pledged to cooperate and support the department to realize the project and boost bilateral trade between the USA and Vietnam.

Placed 34th globally in terms of cargo entrepot, the Cat Lai Port had a capacity of handling over 5 million TEUs in 2019, accounting for half of the total output in the south and 77% of that in Ho Chi Minh City.

Serving 13,000-14,000 containers per day, the port achieves annual growth of over 10%.

USAID will review customs operations at the Cat Lai Port to assess the efficiency, problems and storage time, as well as propose strategies and action solutions. The plan identifies ways to reduce congestion, in which new layout, expansion of facilities, or IT solutions may be proposed to attract investment from the private sector.

Mr. Dinh Ngoc Thang said the department has embarked on the scheme since 2019 to reform customs procedures in logistics activities and ease goods congestion at Cat Lai Port, helping to improve national competitiveness and sustainable economic development.

The project is considered a new breakthrough to help modernize and build a convenient customs service system, realize the goal of reducing customs clearance time by 70%; and save costs for businesses and the society./.