Goods are loaded onto ships at Hoang Dieu Port, Hai Phong City. — VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

Over 128.4 million tonnes of cargo were handled through Viet Nam’s seaports in the first quarter of this year, up 7 per cent annually, according to the Viet Nam Maritime Administration (VMA).

Of the figure, container cargo hit nearly 4.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Trinh The Cuong, head of the VMA’s transportation and maritime services office, attributed the high cargo volume going through the country’s seaports to the increase in imports and exports.

During the period, Viet Nam’s exports hit US$58.51 billion, while imports neared $58 billion, up 4.7 per cent and 8.9 per cent, respectively.

Cuong said cargo via seaports will increase in the near future as a number of major shipping firms, such as Maersk and SITC, launched new service routes in seaports in Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Cai Mep-Thi Vai.

On April 11, the Hai Phong International Container Terminal welcomed Northern Jaguar deployed by Ocean Network Express.

With a capacity of more than 8,800 TEUs, the vessel provides direct services from the north of Viet Nam to the west coast of the US and Canada. Its service will cut down freight time from Hai Phong to the US and Canada as the previous route called in at overseas trans-shipment hubs, reducing the journey from 25 days to 17, thus attracting more transit cargo, Cuong said. — VNS