Calling Saigon

Global marine terminal operator DP World says it welcomed a new customer to its new Saigon Premier Container Terminal (SPCT) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

MISC Berhad has added two weekly calls to SPCT, with the maiden call of the 1,725 TEU (twenty foot equivalent container units) vessel ‘Bunga Teratai Empat’. This brings the total carriers so far calling weekly at the SPCT facility to five. The other carriers currently calling are CMA-CGM, Gemadept, MCC and ZIM.

The new service, named Malaysia East Asia Service, consists of five vessels and it complements MISC’s current Halal Express Service (HE1 and HE2). With the new loop, MISC offers the fastest transit from Japan, China and Taiwan to Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta. It is focused on refrigerated container transport, with capacity for a minimum of 200 refrigerated containers per vessel.

The DP World-operated container terminal, which is located along the western shore of the Soai Rap River on 23 hectares in the Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, is a state-of-the-art facility which began operations in October 2009. Its official opening is set for the end of this month.

New and improved infrastructure including roads and bridges provides smooth access to the terminal, further improving the terminal’s competitive edge over the western and southern hinterland and improved transit times into the northern areas of HCMC.

“I am delighted to welcome this new service of MISC for Intra-Asia, especially for the direct Japan market,” says Patrick Bol, General Director of SPC. “The on-time completion of the terminal and its good road and barge connectivity infrastructure reflects the success of our partnership with the government of Vietnam. We are working with carriers and importers/exporters to build awareness and trust in SPCT as the Port of Choice, providing quality services for our customers and a highly efficient, modern gateway for this region.”