HCMC – Vietnam’s port system will be upgraded to handle between 1.25 and 1.5 billion tons of cargo annually by 2030, as part of a comprehensive plan to enhance key international gateway ports.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 442/QD-TTg amending the master plan for the development of Vietnam’s port system for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050. This decision highlights HCMC’s port as a potential major maritime hub.
The revised targets set higher goals than those in Decision No. 1579/QD-TTg of 2021. By 2030, the system is expected to handle 46.3 to 54.3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of container cargo and 17.4 million to 18.8 million passengers, surpassing earlier projections.
Infrastructure development will focus on international gateway ports at Lach Huyen in Haiphong and Cai Mep – Thi Vai in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, along with an international transshipment port to be built in Can Gio, HCMC.
This initiative aims to form a large-scale transshipment cluster at the Cai Mep river mouth, including Cai Mep and Can Gio berths, to meet regional and global shipping needs. Ports along the Saigon River will be relocated, with further studies to integrate other port areas with HCMC’s urban growth.
By 2050, the port system aims to support an average annual cargo growth rate of 4.2% to 4.8% and a passenger growth rate of 1.2% to 1.3%. The plan also includes the gradual development of an international transshipment port at Van Phong Port in Khanh Hoa Province and the potential development of Tran De Port in Soc Trang Province to serve the Mekong Delta.
