The Danish container ship Margrette Maersk called on October 26 at the Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT).

During the welcoming ceremony on Margrette Maersk Held on the morning of October 26 at the port of Cai Mep, Tobias Gruemmer, regional manager of Maersk Line, said it was a historic moment. " With 214121 deadweight tonnes equivalent to a nominal capacity of nearly 20000 TEUs, she is the largest container ship to call at a port in Vietnam to date" , underlined Mr. Tobias Gruemmer.
A historic moment for cooperation
between Maersk Line and Vietnam
This vessel, which connects Vietnam to the West Coast of the United States, is operated by the 2M alliance, docking at CMIT to handle 6500 TEUs of cargo. According to CMIT management, the port has always been a pioneer in accommodating large ships.
The experience of successful test stopovers at CMIT is an important basis for the Ministry of Transport and Communications as well as the Vietnam Maritime Administration to allow large ships to dock in the port of Cai Mep - Thi Vai region, province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau (South).
" To successfully receive the Margrethe Maersk, it took not only the continued efforts of CMIT itself, but also the determination of the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Administration of Vietnam. This stopover demonstrates our efforts and I believe that this spirit is promoted at the highest level with the determination to bring Cai Mep to a regional and even international status " , said Nguyen Xuan Ky, deputy director general of CMIT.
" The first arrival of a Maersk ship in Vietnam dates back to 1923 almost 100 years ago. It was the Gudrum Maersk. Then, in 1991 Maersk opened its first office in Ho Chi Minh City. In February 2017 the group, with the strong support of the Vietnamese government, in particular the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Administration, made a first test call of a triple-E vessel " , recalled Mr. Tobias Gruemmer.

About 100 delegates were present at the welcoming ceremony of Margrette Maersk.

According to CMIT management, the docking of the container ship Margrette Maersk marks a very important milestone not only for the CMIT port but also for the entire Vietnam maritime industry. CMIT has become one of the few ports among the 20 largest ports in the world capable of accommodating vessels of this size, helping to confirm CMIT's position on the global maritime map.
" Year after year, Vietnam continues to grow, and with the arrival of the Margrette Maersk today, the country is once again showing the world that it is ready to make its mark on commercial shipping. We thank Maersk for this collaboration. Its confidence in the Vietnamese market and in the CMIT testifies to the solid future of this great country " , insisted Josh Surdin, acting director general of CMIT.
According to ministerial statistics, the Cai Mep - Thi Vai international terminal experienced a 20-48% deadweight tonnage growth between 2012 and 2016 following an investment of nearly two billion USD to expand and modernize in accordance with the port development policies approved by the government. Deadweight has increased from 80000 tonnes in 2015 to more than 214121 tonnes to date. "In the first nine months of the year, CMIT has hosted 5.4 million TEUs and over 7.2 million are expected by the end of 2020" , estimated Nguyen Van Cong, vice-minister of Transport and Communications of Vietnam.
Text and photos: Truong Giang /CVN