Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – The Cái Mép – Thị Vải deep-water port cluster is a core maritime gateway in Vietnam's maritime economy and logistics development strategy, directly connecting to the global transportation chain. Upgrading it to an Asian-level international transshipment port is not only crucial for Ho Chi Minh City's maritime economic development but also key to enhancing Vietnam's national competitiveness.
Forecasts indicate that by 2030, Ho Chi Minh City (after merging Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau) will handle 440.8 million to 531.8 million tons of cargo. Currently, however, nearly 96% of the port cluster's containers are for Vietnamese imports and exports, with international transshipment accounting for only slightly over 4%. This necessitates improvements in the port's operational capabilities and policy mechanisms to transform it from a mere "gateway" into an international transshipment center.
To unlock the advantages of the deep-water port, Vietnam's Ministry of Construction has invested 1.414 trillion VND to upgrade the waterway. Upon completion, it will be able to accommodate vessels of 160,000 to 200,000 deadweight tons around the clock, becoming the deepest waterway in the country. In 2024, the port cluster's cargo throughput reached 152 million tons, accounting for 34% of the country's total container throughput. Building on this, Ho Chi Minh City has set a goal: to increase the proportion of international transshipment cargo to 10% by 2030, and to 20-25% between 2030 and 2050, gradually developing into a major regional transshipment port.
Infrastructure construction is being carried out simultaneously with the development of a multimodal transport system: planning regional logistics centers, warehousing networks, and inland container yards, and constructing major transportation arteries such as the Third and Fourth Ring Roads. Among these, the Can Á Port project, an international transshipment port, will collaborate with the Ha Quý Mại Port area to create complementary advantages and establish a regionally competitive gateway port area.
Currently, high logistics costs and poor regional connectivity remain core challenges. Experts point out that if infrastructure and institutional bottlenecks can be resolved, and leveraging the breakthrough policies of Resolution 98/2023/QH15, the port cluster is expected to become an international transshipment center, helping Vietnam establish an important position in the global maritime value chain. (End)
