HCM City’s Cat Lai Port is at risk of overload due to the high amount of containers being stored for months at a time (Photo: thanhnien.vn)HCM City (VNA) - Thousands of containers were left at Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City over the last few months because owners haven’t visited the customsdepartment to complete the necessary procedures, causing both port companies and customs agenciesa headache.
Ngo Minh Thuan, Deputy General Director of Sai Gon Tan Cang (NewPort) Corporation, said that Cat Lai Port is in peak phase afterthe recent holiday season. At present, the amount of goods being left at Cat Lai Port isaround 91.3 percent of capacity, of that the imported goods up to nearly 120percent.
Due to the high amount of stored goods at the port, many importedcontainers are being left in a queue at Cai Mep and Tan Cang – Hiep Phuocports, before being moved to the final destination at Cat Lai Port.
In particular, at Cat Lai Port, the amount of long-day storedgoods was very large, about 8,050 TEUs (1 teus equals one 20-foot container),including: 5,234 TEUs of plastic goods and waste-paper, and another 2,816 TEUsof goods that were stored for 90 days or longer.
The amount of goods is likely to remain at the port for theforeseeable future, according to Thuan.
Thuan said the increase of long-day stored containers hasseriously affected operations at Cat Lai Port and the progress of cargocontainer delivery.
At a recent conference between the customs department and relatedenterprises, Thuan proposed solutions to HCM City’sCustoms Department to solve a number of urgent issues related to handling ofstored goods, including more than 5,200 scrap containers.
The Sai Gon New Port Corporation has asked that the city’s CustomsDepartment allow them to transport goods stored for a long time. Firstly, itwill move 90-day stored goods; as well as plastics and scrap paper storedlonger than 90 days at Cat Lai Port to Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc Port, Nhon TrachInland Container Depot (ICD), Long Binh ICD, and others.
When the cargo owners need to carry out procedures for receivinggoods, Sai Gon New Port Corporation will transport the containers back to CatLai Port.
The corporation asked to be allowed to seek land areas adjacent tothe port area for storing long-day containers under the supervision of thecustoms sub-department of Sai Gon Port.
Sai Gon New Port Corporation will bear the costs of renting andsecuring necessary conditions under customs department’s management andsupervision.
The situation remains complicated and if there are no strictmanagement measures from the ministries, and State management agencies, thevolume of such containers will continue to increase in Vietmam’s seaports,including Cat Lai Port, an important gate for export goods.
According to the Sai Gon New Port Corporation, since January 1,this year, due to the impact of China’s ban on imports of scraps, the volume ofplastic and paper scraps imported through Vietnam's seaports has increaseddramatically.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministryof Industry and Trade have tightened the licensing of imports of these itemsinto the Vietnamese territory, leading to many shipments arriving in Vietnam not being able to complete procedures.
At present, the amount of plastic and paper scrap containersstored at Cat Lai Port number up to 1,000 TEUs. The port is facing issues withthe increase of stored goods.
Recently, Sai Gon New Port Corporation has mapped out a measure tohandle the situation. It’s asking the shipping companies to require importers to providea valid permit for shipments of scraps, and to commit to a specific time ofloading.
For scrap containers stored in the Cai Mep area bound for Cat Lai, the port will carrygoods over only when owners provide full import documents and commit to adeadline for receive goods.
For goods left in stock more than 30 days at Cat Lai, the port’smanagement board will transport the goods to Hiep Phuoc New Port for storage.In that case, all expenses related to transportation will be paid by the ownersof the goods.-VNA
VNA
