Ultra-large container ship to dock at Cai Mep int’l terminal next week

Margrethe Maersk, one of the world’s largest container ships, is set to arrive at Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on October 26 (Photo: vesselfinder.com)

The 214,121-DWT vessel, operated by the 2M Alliance led by Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), is able to carry over 18,300 twenty-foot equivalent units and stretches nearly 400m in length and 59m in width, according to the Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC).

With the ship’s call, CMIT will become one of about 20 major ports worldwide capable of receiving vessels of this size, therefore affirming its position on the global navigation map.

The VIMC said the port’s eligibility to handle such huge container ships would benefit Vietnam’s imports and exports as the country has signed several free trade deals such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Vietnam’s goods will be directly shipped to many large markets like Europe and the US without transiting ports in Singapore or Malaysia, helping to save logistics costs and reduce transport time./.

VNA