High expectations for seaport development in Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta boasts huge potential to develop logistics services thanks to strong economic development in recent years, with large volumes of seafood, rice, fruits, textiles and garments shipped to regions across the country and foreign markets.

However, despite a long coastline as well as two main branches of the Mekong River - the Tien and the Hau - flowing through, the region still does not have a large port to serve domestic and international trade, said Tran Thanh Hai, deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's (MoIT) import-export department.

Hai pointed out that although it is a hub of agricultural and aquatic products, especially shrimp, fish, rice, and fruits, regional goods must transit at ports in Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, increasing time and costs as well as putting pressure on the road network.

Each year the Mekong Delta handles about 20 million tons of goods, with 70% being transported by road to HCMC and southeastern provinces for export at very high costs, he added.

Bottlenecks in logistics development

According to the MoIT official, the Mekong Delta boasts many rivers and canals, making it convenient for waterways but hindering road and rail transport.

"On roads, many large bridges have been built such as My Thuan, Can Tho, Rach Mieu, Vam Cong, Ham Luong and Co Chien, contributing to shortening the distances between localities in the region, but railways are still not available in the region," Hai noted.

Notably, waterways have many advantages. The Hau River is deep enough to accommodate large ships, but estuaries such as Dinh An in Tra Vinh province and Tran De in Soc Trang province have become sandbanks due to alluvial deposits. Therefore, ships cannot pass through the river mouth and upstream.

High hopes for large-scale seaports

Recently, many researches have been made on seaport development in the Mekong Delta. They have proposed building a floating port outside the Dinh An estuary in Tra Vinh province, a port off the coast of Dai Ngai, Soc Trang province, and Hon Khoai port in Ca Mau province, Nam Du port in Kien Giang province, and a coal transshipment port in Tra Vinh province.

However, according to Hai, they have not selected suitable locations or proposed solutions to meet the region's long-term development requirements.

Taking into account the criteria of transportation distance, site clearance, transportation costs, maintenance and transportation connections, Tran De of Soc Trang province is the most advantageous location, with the highest score of 62 points in terms of comparative advantages, he said.

Tran De holds the most favorable conditions as it boasts inland waterway and road connections to Can Tho city, the heart of the region, as well as to other provinces in the region to serve container ships of up to 100,000 tons and bulk carriers of up to 160,000 tons, he explained.

"If the Prime Minister agrees to add Tran De port to the national seaport development plan in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, and the province successfully calls for investment, Tran De port will accommodate large ships of over 100,000 tons to form long-distance shipping routes, serving the Mekong Delta region’s import and export of goods," Hai said.

In addition, Hon Khoai port in Ca Mau province could become the focus of logistics development in the region. With an area of 460 hectares, 15km from the mainland to the southern coast, and a water depth of 16-20 meters, Hon Khoai has favorable conditions to become an international transshipment port and a goods gathering point for not only the Mekong Delta but also neighboring countries for shipping to other parts of the world. Especially, if Thailand's Kra canal project is implemented, Hon Khoai will have more advantages for development.

Currently, Cho Gao canal in Tien Giang province is also an important waterway for transporting goods from the Mekong Delta to HCMC, according to Hai.

On the other hand, the Mekong Delta shares a border with Cambodia, so waterway transportation via the Tien and Hau rivers to the northern and northeastern provinces of Cambodia will be closer and cheaper than shipping from Sihanoukville port, he added.

Hai noted that when Cai Cui port in Can Tho is put into operation, it can connect directly with Singapore ports and Port Klang of Malaysia to become a goods transshipment and distribution point for maritime routes in the Indochinese region.

Located near the sea gate, Long An port will be capable of receiving large ships bringing goods in and out of the Mekong Delta and the south of Can Tho city, Hai added.