Vietnam’s master plan on developing domestic seaport network over the next 10 years, with a vision to 2050, will focus on the development of six major port clusters, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The has said.

Nearly 16.8 million TEUs of container cargo have been handled at Vietnamese seaports in the first eight months of 2021, up 18% from the same period last year, according the Vietnam Maritime Administration.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has asked provincial and municipal authorities to ease the travel of labourers at seaports so as to avoid the disruption of production and supply chains amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The total volume of cargo handled at Vietnamese seaports is estimated to reach more than 425 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2021, up 6 percent over the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VMA).

The development of seaports is to be prioritised over the next three decades to meet increasing demand in shipping services, according to Nguyen Xuan Sang, director of Vietnam Maritime Administration under the Ministry of Transport.

The volume of cargo going through seaports has been on the increase thanks to free trade agreements (FTAs).

Container goods shipped via Vietnam’s seaports still maintained growth in the first half of this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VMA).

Careful consideration is needed before increasing seaport services charges to limit negative impacts on the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Vietnam Maritime Administration.

A new master plan for seaports is needed to further boost the country’s socio-economic development in the rapid international integration process, experts have said.

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.