Prime Minister: “Cái Mép – Thị Vải Port Must Compete on Par with Singapore”

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc made this statement after working with Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province and conducting an on-site inspection at Tân Cảng Cái Mép – Thị Vải Port on March 20.

He noted that the development of Southeastern Vietnam has been greatly supported by the seaport system. In particular, the growth of seaports in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu in recent years has been “very encouraging,” with an annual increase of around 20%. In 2020 alone, ports in the province handled nearly 113 million tons of cargo, accounting for 16% of the country's total cargo volume and 34% of the national container throughput.

Among them, Cái Mép – Thị Vải stands out as a deep-water port cluster with enormous potential, and is already one of the world’s leading ports. Therefore, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for a new mindset in its development.

The Prime Minister assigned ministries and local authorities the responsibility of developing the seaport and logistics systems. He stated:

"First and foremost, Cái Mép – Thị Vải must reach regional standards by 2030, be able to compete with Singapore, and become a world-class seaport hub by 2045."

In his report to the Prime Minister, Nguyễn Văn Thọ, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, said that the province is currently connected to other provinces in the Southern Key Economic Region and the Mekong Delta via only National Highway 51. However, this road is overloaded and frequently congested, affecting the transportation of goods to and from the Cái Mép – Thị Vải port cluster.

Chairman Thọ proposed urgent investment in connectivity projects, such as:

The Biên Hòa – Vũng Tàu railway

Ring Road 4

Additional interchanges along National Highway 51

He emphasized that these developments are “extremely urgent.”

Other experts suggested additional solutions, including:

Dredging the river channel, increasing depth from -14.5 meters to -15.5 meters to accommodate larger ships

Comprehensive infrastructure upgrades, including road links to expressways

Construction of the Phước An Bridge to improve access to the port

The Prime Minister agreed with the Ministry of Transport on prioritizing the dredging of the waterway from buoy No. 0 to the Cái Mép container terminal, enabling large vessels to enter and exit the port with ease. He also endorsed the early investment in the Biên Hòa – Vũng Tàu expressway and the Phước An Bridge.
The head of the Government urged ministries, sectors, and local authorities to study the Biên Hòa – Cái Mép railway project as an extension of the North–South railway line, in order to facilitate the transportation of goods from various regions to the Cái Mép – Thị Vải port.

Regarding logistics infrastructure investment, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to prioritize the development of the Cái Mép Hạ Logistics Center to boost port-related services. Additionally, relevant authorities should study the construction of a distribution center that links Long Thành Airport and the port cluster, aiming to integrate air and waterway transport. View more