Seaports busy with first shipments

	Seaports nationwide busy through Tet break
	Over 733 million tonnes of cargo handled at Vietnamese seaports
	Cargo throughput via seaports sees slight rise in July

Imported and exported shipments at Cat Lai port. Photo: T.H

According to Sai Gon New Port Corporation, in the first week of Lunar New Year 2023, Tan Cang- Cat Lai port welcomed 70 vessels with the cargo throughput reaching 107,000 Teus, or more than 1.54 million tonnes of cargo (rising 2.5% compared to the same period last year). On the night of the day of issuing an order to export goods alone (January 29), the port received nine container ships with a total cargo capacity of 19.981 tonnes or nearly 1.700 Teus to load 15,424 Teus, or 220,000 tonnes of cargo, showing the prospects of Vietnam's economy in 2023. To ensure operations at Tan Cang- Cat Lai port during the Lunar New Year 2023 holiday, more than 1,100 employees were arranged to manage, work and serve enterprises directly.

SP-SSA International Terminal (SSIT) said that since the first day of 2023, the MSC FELIXSTOWE ship had visited the port. The ship has a total cargo handling capacity of 5,048 Teus. Then, the SSIT port also received the MSC CLORINDA ship with a cargo throughput reaching 14,000 Teus, or 165,959 tonnes of cargo, to load and unload more than 2,000 Teus cargo. This ship belongs to the Sentosa Service line connecting trade between Singapore, Malaysia, Thai Lan, Vung Tau and China to ports on the U.S. Westcoast.

Similarly, ZIM PUSAN belongs TP23 line linking trade between Vietnam and the U.S. Eastcoast visited Tan Cang-Cai Mep international port in the first days of 2023. In the first five days of the year, the port welcomed six vessels with a total cargo capacity of 14,000 tonnes. This is good news for a prospering year. Container ports such as Gemalink, CMIT, and TCIT also received many first ships, opening a promising year. According to the Vung Tau Port Authority, from January 22 to 26, 16 vessels arrived at Cai Mep-Thi Vai port.

According to the leader of Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT), during the Lunar New Year holiday, the CMIT still welcomed mother ships with a tonnage of about 160,000 tonnes.

On the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year, the CMA CGM T.Jefferson ship with a tonnage of 150,000 tons and a capacity of 14,500 TEUs docked at Gemalink International Port to load and unload more than 4,000 Teus of import and export goods. Although Gemalink port receives five ships every week, the number of ships docking at the port during New Year's Eve was increasing. After two years since Gemalink international port came into operation, the throughput of goods through the port is increasing day by day. In 2022 alone, the volume of goods going through procedures at the port grew by nearly 50% compared to 2021.

Tan Thuan Port – a Branch of Saigon Port Joint Stock Company continuously received good news at the beginning of the year when receiving the container ship ASIA EXPRESS to the wharf K12B on the 1st and the container ship BIENDONG STAR on the 2nd of the Lunar New Year of the year 2023. On the 5th day of Tet, Saigon Port Branch in Ba Ria-Vung Tau continued to welcome the GUO SHUN 9 ship with more than 7,000 tonnes of imported goods. Then, the GUO SHUN 9 carried nearly 3,000 tonnes of exported goods and left the port on January 8.

In the central region, the leader of Da Nang Port Joint Stock Company informed that on the 30th and 1st of Tet, the port welcomed three container ships. During the six days of the Tet holiday, the port received 10 container ships. In addition, Hai Phong port welcomed the MEARSK's NORDMAAS ship with a tonnage of 23,417 tons, carrying 90 containers, on the first day of the New Year. After completing the import procedures for the shipment, the ship carried 202 containers of export goods leaving the port. Hai Phong Port is determined to achieve targets of outstanding growth, ensuring jobs and income, improving employees' lives, and comprehensively completing assigned economic and political tasks.

Mr Do Cong Khanh, Deputy General Director of Gemadept Joint Stock Company (the investor of Gemalink port), said that cargo volume through Gemalink port in 2022 rose by nearly 50% compared to 2021. Gemalink port welcomes five mother ships to America and Europe every week. Especially at the end of 2022, the port dredged the channel to reach a depth of 16.5m in front of the wharf. With this depth, Gemalink is confident it to receive the world's largest ship as early as 2023.