VND 360-440 trillion will be poured into fostering seaports nationwide from now to 2020, according to a national seaport development plan recently approved by the Government.

     The Grand Alliance (GA) partners, NYK Line, Hapag Lloyd and OOCL have announced an upgrade regarding its Asia East Coast Express (AEX) service with the introduction of a 10th post Panamax (PPX) vessel and the addition of a direct and weekly Vietnam call at the deepwater port of Cai Mep.

Viet Nam's logistics industry has many natural advantages and is well placed to help develop a regional hub, or free port (called logistic parks), but it will lose the opportunity if it does not act in haste, experts caution.

A week after most large trans-Pacific container carriers sought an emergency increase in U.S. import rates, carriers said they will seek higher rates on containerized export shipments of dry cargo from the U.S. to Asia.

Seventeen regional tourism and travel agencies just met in Bangkok, Thailand, and agreed to set up the Asia Cruise Services Network (ACSN) with a view to boosting up regional cooperation and development in this promising industry.

     Transport ministers from the Asia-Pacific region have agreed to work on a treaty to promote the development of dry ports - inland transport and logistics hubs - to spur intraregional trade and growth.

The Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City has recently hosted the conference on "Business Development of Canadian Atlantic Gateway Trade Mission" with the purpose of creating opportunities for transportation and education officials of the Atlantic Gateway trade mission to meet and exchange with representatives of Vietnamese companies.

     Despite the global economic downturn, Vietnamese trade is outpacing its outdated and overworked ports infrastructure. Filling the capacity gap will require substantial foreign investment, but questions about the country's underlying financial health, including a recent sharp devaluation of the local currency, could hamper those inflows.

     The construction of three concrete bridges began along a single highway across the central province of Quang Ngai on December 5.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau province started the construction of the Cai Mep - Thi Vai road connecting all seaports along the Thi Vai river on December 4. The project has a total investment of over VND 6.3 trillion. The 21.3 kilometre road runs from the general container port Cai Mep Ha in Tan Thanh district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province to the Phuoc An port in Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province.

     On the afternoon 03/12, Saigon port together with its units organized the meeting with customers to evaluate and learn from the campaign of anti-cargo shrinkage; also add more solutions for restricting cargo shrinkage at the minimum level. According to the Saigon ports committee of fighting against cargo shrinkages report, after the previous meeting, there has been clear decrease in cargo shrinkage level from 6/2009 to present. The rate of cargo shrinkage has declined from the maximum level of 4,8% to 0,93% in 11/2009.

The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau is targeted as a place to build seaport complex No. 5 to meet the increasing demand for shipping in the southern key economic zone under the Ministry of Transport's seaport development plan in 1999. This is a good opportunity for the province to develop seaports, industrial parks and transport works.