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The rate of direct container delivery at the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster ranges from approximately 13-15% of the cargo throughput, while over 85% of import and export goods are consolidated and transported to areas such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong via barge.

About 15% of Import and Export Goods Cleared at the Port

This information was shared by experts at a recent seminar on the proposal “Continuing to develop and modernize the Cai Mep – Thi Vai international gateway port into the largest transshipment port in the country and a hub of regional and global significance.”

Colonel Bui Van Quy, Deputy General Director of Saigon Newport Corporation, stated that the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster is actively operating and plays a crucial role in the region’s logistics activities. The Cai Mep – Thi Vai area has approximately 35 ports, of which 22 are currently operational (19 official projects and 3 temporary projects), with a capacity of 117.8 million tons per year, including 7 container ports with a capacity of 6.8 million TEU per year.

According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, in the past five years, the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port area has seen increasingly larger vessels docking each year. The total number of large vessels over 80,000 tons docking at the port has increased from 1,524 in 2017 to 1,644 in 2022.

The Vietnam Maritime Administration also noted that the Cai Mep port area has more mainline service routes to America and Europe than other Southeast Asian countries, second only to Malaysia and Singapore.

Statistics from the Vietnam Maritime Administration show that by the end of 2023, Vietnam had received 25 shipping routes to the United States, of which 22 routes originated from Cai Mep – Thi Vai. Additionally, the area also has two routes to Europe and ten routes to intra-Asia. This number has tripled since 2018 (when there were only eight routes to the Americas and Europe).

Despite many favorable conditions, businesses still limit the use of the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster for import and export clearance.

Providing specific figures, Mr. Bui Van Quy stated that currently, the rate of direct container delivery at the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster is only around 13-15% of the cargo throughput. The remaining over 85% of import and export goods are consolidated and transported to areas such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong via barge.

Mr. Bui Van Quy explained three main reasons for the limited use of the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster for direct import and export clearance:

Firstly, due to road traffic congestion. While waiting for the interregional traffic connection system to become operational, National Highway 51 frequently experiences congestion, especially during holidays, festivals, and weekends. This reduces the turnaround time and efficiency of transportation.

Secondly, shippers are mainly located in industrial zones in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Tay Ninh, making the connection to the Cat Lai port very close and convenient (many areas are only 10-20 km away), while Cai Mep – Thi Vai is 70 km away. Additionally, BOT toll fees and other incidental costs significantly increase transportation costs.

Thirdly, the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port area lacks a fully invested logistics service ecosystem, making it difficult to access and persuade customers for direct delivery; lacks specialized cargo handling and service centers; and lacks state inspection centers in the port area.

Finding Solutions to Attract Transshipment Cargo

Experts suggest that during the development of the Cai Mep – Thi Vai international gateway and transshipment port, certain limitations and policies must be identified to implement appropriate solutions.

Specifically, the transportation infrastructure in this area is limited, particularly the road system connecting the port to national highways and expressways under construction, hindering the transport of goods from the port to destinations. Accelerating the progress of interregional traffic projects, quickly implementing the Cai Mep Ha logistics center, attracting investment in container-using industries, liberal policies to attract investment; preferential policies for shipping lines; developing high-quality human resources for logistics and large-scale production; and assisting businesses in overcoming difficulties.

There is a need for solutions to resolve issues and attract transshipment cargo to the Cai Mep port cluster, including revising and supplementing regulations towards simplifying procedures, creating favorable conditions similar to international transshipment ports: reducing declaration procedures; reducing the list of prohibited transshipment goods in Vietnam; implementing electronic clearance under the “one-stop-shop” principle; synchronizing electronic document declaration, submission, and payment services through online banking; applying technology to manage and monitor customs through lane and route separation for permitted goods; using electronic seals, installing GPS devices on container trucks, and establishing a camera surveillance system, etc.

For specialized inspections, it is necessary to expedite the implementation of the project to establish a centralized specialized inspection center and a centralized cargo inspection point at Cai Mep – Thi Vai to quickly clear goods from the port/transshipment, enhancing the ability to receive export/import goods.

Additionally, special mechanisms should support the development of the Cai Mep international transshipment port; legal frameworks for forming a free trade zone, including amendments and supplements to related provisions in the Customs Law, Commercial Law, Investment Law, and tax laws to formalize the establishment and development of the international transshipment area, creating a legal framework to pilot the formation of a free trade zone. This would allow businesses to benefit from special customs regimes and tax incentives to attract investment, capital, and trade flows, boosting transportation demand.

Source: haiquanonline.com.vn