Viet Nam’s seaports handled 254.8 million tonnes of cargo during the first half of this year, up 17 per cent from the same period last year, the Viet Nam Maritime Administration (VMA) has reported.

This included 8.7 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) of freight containers, up 28 per cent against the same period last year, and fulfilling 57 per cent of the target set for 2018.

During the period, 38 Vietnamese container ships carried about 69.9 million tonnes of cargo, representing an on-year rise of 9 per cent, according to the administration.

The VMA has also been working to streamline administrative procedures.

However, the agency said the transportation businesses still faced numerous difficulties due to the low volume of cargo and low transportation fees, plus stagnant projects to dredge navigation lines.

The VMA plans to invest more in building and upgrading navigation infrastructure. — VNS