Vietnam Volume

Cai Mep, Vietnam - Utilization at Cai Mep International Terminal in Vietnam increased by 70% from 2015 to 2016, and direct call services from Ultra-Large Container Ships are leading the way to continued growth. 

In February, the 18,000 TEU capacity Triple-E Class Margrethe Maersk became the largest vessel ever to call a Vietnamese port when it stopped at Cai Mep International Terminal.  Vietnamese ports handled approximately a combined 11 million TEUs in 2016. Of these, 5.62 million TEUs were handled by Saigon area facilities, now ranking 24th globally. Cai Mep International Terminal, a deep-water facility, in which APM Terminals is a shareholder, began operations in March 2011. Located in the Ba Ria?Vung Tau Province, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, it is currently the only terminal in Vietnam capable of accommodating and licensed to handle larger, deep-draft vessels of 14,000 TEU capacity.

Essentially, from an operational point of view a transshipment terminal, most of the Cai Mep cargo is moved to and from interior Vietnamese destinations by barges, which are more efficiently handled with smaller cranes.  The standard deep sea Ship-to-Shore quay cranes are best utilized on ocean going vessels rather than the small barges.  Cai Mep International Terminal is equipped with five STS cranes with 22+1 container reach. A new barge quay is being constructed by a local logistics company, adjacent to CMIT. Some of the barge operation will transfer to this location at the end of the year, opening up more capacity at CMIT to handle larger vessels.  The barges transport containers to and from Inland Container depots located along the river system, generally requiring a six to eight hour transit time.

Vietnam has been among the fastest-growing economies in Asia, expanding by 6.1% in 2016 to USD $200.5 billion ($595 billion by PPP). The IMF has forecast a 6.5% economic growth rate for Vietnam in 2017, and 6.3% for 2018. Cai Mep International Terminal handled 1.21 million TEUs in 2016.