Chu Lai Port has recently launched new service routes, directly connecting to major ports in India, China, and other countries across Asia. This expansion and diversification of international shipping routes have affirmed Chu Lai Port's position as a central hub for import-export activities in Vietnam’s Central and Central Highlands.
Collaboration with RCL - A Leading Asian Container Shipping Line
On August 28, the MTT SAISUNEE vessel (registered in Malaysia) operated by RCL docked at Chu Lai Port, inaugurating a new direct shipping route to India. The vessel transported automotive parts, machinery, fruits, household goods, furniture, textiles, and other goods from businesses in Tam Thang, THACO Chu Lai Industrial Park (Quang Nam), VSIP Industrial Park (Quang Ngai) for export to India.
RCL, established in 1979 in Thailand, is one of Asia's leading shipping lines. The company owns and operates 49 container vessels with 69 destinations in India and other countries across Asia and the Middle East. RCL's fleet, with a total capacity of nearly 79,000 TEUs, complies with international safety and environmental protection standards.
Initially, Chu Lai Port has partnered with RCL to operate a shipping route from Xiamen (China) - Chu Lai (Vietnam) - Port Klang (Malaysia) - Chennai - Kolkata - Kattupalli (India), with a frequency of 3 trips per month. This collaboration offers customers various options at optimal costs while also developing the import-export market in the Central and Central Highlands regions.
Diversifying Shipping Routes, Enhancing Service Capacity
As a vital import-export gateway in Central Vietnam and a transit hub for goods from Laos and Cambodia, Chu Lai Port is enhancing its cooperation with international shipping lines (SITC, CMA CGM, ZIM, RCL…) to operate intra-Asia service routes directly connecting to China, South Korea, Japan and trans-Pacific routes to markets in the Americas and Europe.
Notably, with the addition of direct shipping routes to major ports in India such as Chennai, Kolkata, Kattupalli, Nhava Sheva and Mundra, Chu Lai Port has provided numerous optimal transportation solutions, meeting the import-export needs of businesses in the region. This initiative facilitates the entry of Vietnamese goods into the South Asian market through India. Now, instead of transshipping to ports in the North or South, businesses in Central Vietnam can export and import goods to and from India via Chu Lai, significantly reducing time and costs.
Mr. Phan Van Ky, Director of Chu Lai Port, stated: “We are investing in and upgrading synchronized infrastructure, applying information technology in port operations to enhance service quality. This effort increases connectivity with maritime corporations and international shipping lines while attracting cargo from export-import areas through the port.”
Thanks to the diversification of new shipping routes and an expanding customer network, Chu Lai Port's cargo throughput in 2024 is expected to increase by more than 40% compared to 2023.
In the near future, Chu Lai Port plans to continue promoting cooperation with international shipping lines to increase ship frequency, while also completing and putting into operation a 50,000-ton wharf to accommodate large vessels, meeting the market's growing demands. Additionally, the port aims to enhance its capacity in berth, warehouse, and equipment operations, focusing on exploiting commodities with significant development potential in the Central Highlands (Vietnam), Laos and Cambodia, such as agricultural, forestry, and mineral exports.
Alongside efforts to improve service quality, Chu Lai Port will also streamline processes and procedures, optimize systems, and gradually realize its goal of becoming an international cargo transshipment hub