The Saigon Newport in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, will be closed in May next year to make way for a modern urban development, according to its operator Saigon Newport Corporation.
The company said it has informed carriers and clients of a government roadmap that plans to repurpose the port area, located in the city’s Binh Thanh District, into a multi-use urban complex, reports the VietnamNet.
From July, the port will no longer receive empty containers except those used for immediate cargo loading. It has also asked its customers to clear out all their goods kept at its storage areas by August.
From September, the port will only serve container vessels that unload goods at container freight stations. Packaging service will cease from October, except for rice which will continue until March next year.
The HCMC government has approved a zoning plan for the Tan Cang complex comprising a multifunctional urban area.
In other country news, Vietnam’s total exports in the first half of the year rose 14.9 percent year-over-year to US$70.9 billion.
This is broken down into a monthly average of US$11.8 billion, about $1.5 billion higher than the monthly average for the same period in 2013.
Vietnam’s total export volume is estimated to reach $150 billion this year, according to a report from VietnamNet.
Photo: tommy japan
