VIETNAM's
Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT), has welcomed the maiden call of the TP17 service deployed by 2M
Alliance and in doing so
secured itself as port of call for ultra
large container ships (ULCs).
According to a statement, the
Panama-flagged Seroja Lima berthed at CMIT recently to load and discharge
almost 3,000 TEU.
CMIT is a joint venture between
Saigon Port (15 per cent), Vietnam National Shipping Lines (36 per cent) and
APM Terminals (49 per cent).
APMT said CMITs high productivity
and "safe operations" were critical for its place on the schedule of
the 2M Alliance, which comprises AP Moeller-Maersk and MSC, the two biggest
carriers in the world.
It means it will now be regularly
visited by a fleet of vessels with a capacity of 12,000 TEU, another sign that
Vietnam and Southeast Asia is growing as a hub for maritime trade.
The United States is Vietnam's
third largest trade partner and foreign trade between two countries has been
growing rapidly.
The TP17 service, which connects
Vietnam with the US East Coast, will increase the frequency of weekly mainline
calls at CMIT, and increase the number of options for Vietnamese importers and
exporters to optimise the cargo connection with key US markets, reports Port
Technology, London.
"Through our relentless
effort to provide world-class service quality and the highest level in safety,
we are proud to strengthen Cai Mep's position on the world maritime map and
contribute to improve the competitiveness for Vietnamese cargo", said Jan
Bandstra, CMIT general director.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic,
CMIT has maintained 24/7 operations, to facilitate a back-to-back schedule
including five weekly mainline calls with vessels size of 9,000 TEU-18,000 TEU
and around 150 barges and domestic vessels.
This has been enabled through
significant efforts to apply various measures to prevent the entry and spread
of virus, the statement added.
Source : HKSG.