Vietnam should prioritise investment in seaport infrastructure and the development of its fleet to boost its competitiveness in the global maritime market, according to the Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC).

The number of ships passing through Vietnam’s seaports was 50,553 in the first six months of this year, up 4% year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VMA).

Vietnam’s seaport throughput nearly doubled between 2015 and 2022, averaging 8.4%, said the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VMA).

Vietnam would need VND312.6 trillion (US$13.3 billion) to develop the seaports system by 2030, according to the Ministry of Transport.

A new general port with capacity to receive ships of up to 150,000 DWT will be built in the south-central coastal province of Binh Thuan.

Vietnam’s seaports have handled an estimated 180 million tonnes of goods in the first quarter of 2022, the Vietnam Maritime Administrative (VMA) reported.

The total volume of goods passing through Vietnam’s seaports reached nearly 296 million tonnes in the first five months of this year, up 5% year-on-year despite the serious impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam’s seaports handled an estimated over 689 million tonnes of cargo this year, up 4% annually, reported the Vietnam Maritime Administration.