Vietnam’s seaports handle over 537.7 million tonnes of goods in nine months

A container vessel docks at Tan Cang-Cai Mep port. (Photo: VNA)

Despite the negative impacts of COVID-19 on some major ports in the southern region, the total volume of container cargo going through seaports maintained a double-digit growth rate of 15 percent compared to the same period last year to near 18.6 million TEUs.

Of the figure, the volume of exports was estimated to hit over 6 million TEUs, surging 13 percent, that of imports over 6.1 million TEUs, up 18 percent, and that of domestic goods 6.3 million TEUs, up 13 percent.

Although some seaport areas were put under strict social distancing measures in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the volume of goods that went through those in Ho Chi Minh City expanded more than 7 percent, in Ba Ria-Vung Tau 5 percent, and in Hai Phong nearly 11.7 percent year on year.

Under a freshly approved master plan on developing domestic seaport network over the next 10 years, with a vision towards 2050, Vietnam aims to develop a uniform system of modern seaports that provide high-quality services, meet needs for socio-economic development, and ensure national security and defence, maritime safety and environmental protection, and improving the economy’s competitiveness. It is expected to help the country fulfill its goal of becoming an upper-middle-income developing country with modern industry by 2030.

The plan classifies Vietnamese seaports into five groups based on their geographical locations. About 313 trillion VND (13.74 billion USD) mobilised outside the State budget will be needed for its implementation./.