A French-flagged 1,200 TEU ship moored at the Saigon Premier Container Terminal (SPCT) on Octorber 16, becoming the first vessel to dock at the terminal.

Speaking at the ceremony to welcome the ASTA RICKMERS ship, Ho Chi Minh city People’s Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan said that the arrival of the ship is a testament to the effective cooperation between the city and its foreign partners in developing an operational system of ports in the Hiep Phuoc region.

The event will prompt the city to step up the tempo of moving ports in urban areas to suburban districts, contributing to boosting its sea-based economy and minimising the logjam of goods at ports, which was experienced in 2008.

Saigon Premier Container Terminal (SPCT), a joint venture between DP World and Tan Thuan Industrial Promotion Company (IPC), is the largest container terminal in the Hiep Phuoc Port Complex.

The terminal, built on an area of 40 hectares, is designed to welcome ships of 4,000-5,000 TEU in loading capacity./.