Northern Vietnam

Hai Phong and Vung Ang Port are the major ports for international container traffic in north Vietnam, but neither are deep-water ports. Hai Phong accounted for 13 percent of the total throughput of all the country’s ports in 2016.

Containers heading for Hai Phong or Vung Ang require transshipments, which usually takes place in the ports of Singapore or Hong Kong, where the containers are loaded into smaller container vessels, which can then be accommodated in the northern ports in Vietnam.

Lach Huyen Port, a new deep-water port is going to open in May 2018 in Hai Phong that will help in accommodating larger container vessels and reduce the need for transshipments. The Port will be connected to the mainland through the new Tan Vu-Lach Huyen Highway and Bridge to ensure connectivity and easier movement of goods.

Central Vietnam

The major ports in Central Vietnam are the Qui Nhon and Da Nang port, the latter being a deep-water port. In addition, the region has nine minor ports as well. In 2016, the region accounted for 11.65 percent of the total throughput, with Da Nang handling the majority of the traffic.

Qui Nhon port is mostly used for transporting goods from Mekong Delta and Western Vietnam, along with transloading of goods heading for Cambodia.

Southern Vietnam

In the south, ports in Ho Chi Minh City are the main gateway for the region, accounting for 67 percent of the total throughput of all Vietnamese ports. The Cai Mep-Thi Via Port (Cai Mep) is a deep-water port located around 80 km south of Ho Chi Minh City.

It mostly handles goods for Dong Nai and Binh Duong, which are major production centers. Despite being a deep-water port with seven terminals, Cai-Mep functions at only 30 percent capacity, due to a large number of smaller ports in the region. For example, Cat Lai, one of the biggest and most modern container terminals in Vietnam, situated in Ho Chi Minh City’s port area, is more preferred over Cai-Mep due to its proximity to Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City. The port is not a deep-water port, hence requires transshipments.