Greater efficiency, less traffic proposed for HCMC port

First, the HCMC Branch of Vietnam Maritime Administration will coordinate with the Saigon New Port Corporation, the terminal’s operator, in having all receivers to speed up moving their cargo out of the terminal, Hoang Hong Giang, deputy head of the VMA, said.

Second, the corporation will re-arrange containers piled up in the terminal to make room for new arrivals, increase container loading and unloading capacity to the maximum, and move empty containers out.

Third, relevant parties will look for ways to reduce the volume of cargo arriving at the terminal. The administration has asked cargo owners to temporarily receive cargoes at other ports in HCMC and the Mekong Delta.

"The Cat Lai Terminal is still receiving cargo normally, but immediate measures are needed to avoid further overloads," Giang said.

The corporation said Sunday it would stop receiving oversized and overweight cargo from August 5. If the number of containers reaches full capacity, the terminal will have to stop receiving cargo ships, it said.

Over weeks of social distancing in the city, the number of trucks coming to pick up cargo at the terminal decreased sharply, leading to a pileup. Many companies have had to suspend or reduce operations amid the Covid-19 outbreaks, the corporation noted.