VIETNAM’S PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN RIPPLES TO MORE PORTS

The lockdown in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), alongside the 19 other cities of the South Vietnam, has been extended till the end of August due to latest Covid outbreaks. Since August 01, the port authority has partly suspended operation at Cat Lai port which is closer to Ho Chi Minh City, and stop handling all transship cargo. The suspension is expected to last for two weeks at least. The yard density of Cat Lai port has been 100% with lower operational productivity COVID-19, because port staffing and trucking capacity are limited to 50% of the normal. It’s reported that 80+ vessels are waiting for berth right now, and the shipments out of the Cat Lai and Cai Mep ports are seeing delays of 3 to 5 days.

Cat Lai port temporarily stops receiving import containers and encourage vessels entering the Terminal only for loading export containers. So far, there is still no restriction to export containers, but if the situation gets no improvement, the ports might stop receiving and switch vessels from Cat Lai to other smaller port & ICD.

Official Letter from SAIGON NEWPORT CORPORATION
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SAIGON NEWPORT CORPORATION
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
Indepence – Freedom – Happiness
Ref: Notice, recommendations to Shipping Lines, Customers on cargo receipt/delivery at TCCL in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic
Respectfully to: Shipping Lines/Shipping Agents and Customers,
Saigon Newport Corporation (SNP) would like to express our sincere thanks to you for your valuable cooperation and support over the past years. Currently, the inbound container storage and dwell time at Tan Cang Cat Lai Container Terminal (TCCL) is increasing rapidly because many factories, companies have reduced their production capacity or halted their business/operations due to epidemic prevention and control requirements. This has created a negative impact on the receipt and release of the vessels at the Terminal. Thus, SNP would like to inform and recommend to Shipping Lines / Shipping Agents and Customers as follows:

Recommendations to Shipping Lines/Shipping Agents:
1.1.TCCL temporarily stops receiving import containers of customers/companies whose production activities have already been suspended or halted. We encourage vessels entering the Terminal only for loading export containers. We temporarily suspend receiving reefer containers from which cargo to be unstuffed and stuffed into other containers at the Terminal until August 16, 2021.
1.2 . TCCL shall temporarily stop receiving cargoes that occupy ample space at yards (such as the oversized, overweight cargo, project cargo, OOG cargo, etc.) as of August 5th, 2021 until further notice.
1.3. Proactively contact and convince customers to amend the “final port of destination” (final cargo delivery place) to TCIT/TCTT and Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc Terminal (TCHP) for vessels which call at TCIT/TCTT. We will assist Shipping lines/agents and Customers to proceed the fast and convenient manifest amendment formalities with Customs Department.
1.4. Timely send the estimated volume of import laden and empty containers on vessels calling at SNP’s Terminals in the next two weeks via email: tbsx@saigonnewport.com.vn and qhht.marketing@saigonnewport.com.vn for our proactive yard allocation and arrangement.
1.5. Subject to the actual situation of storage and container yard utilization, we shall impose the specific volume limit on import containers that are unloaded onto the CY for each service (Port Operation Center will be directly in charge of executing the limit with Shipping Lines on 3-7 day prior notice). In a worst-case scenario when the

CY’s storage capacity reaches the maximum allowable level, we shall stop receiving the vessels in the last resort.

Recommendations to Customers:
2.1. Customers are kindly requested to take direct delivery of import containers at TCIT, TCTT, Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc Terminal, or at SNP’s ICDs near your factories, companies such as ICD Tan Cang Long Binh, ICD Tan Cang Nhon Trach, ICD Tan Cang Song Than and the SNP’s river terminals in Mekong Delta.
2.2 .For customers whose production is suspended or halted temporarily, kindly send the list of containers staying at TCCL or en route for TCCL along with information related to bill of lading, cargo manifest via email : qhkh.marketing@saigonnewport.com.vn. Proactively send official letters to SNP, Shipping Lines, and Customs Department to proceed the amendment of the “final port of destination” on Manifest with the premises of SNP as above-mentioned to minimize the waiting time and incurred costs.

For the contents mentioned in the items 1.2 and 1.3 above, in some special cases, upon receiving requests from Shipping Lines/Shipping Agents/Customers, SNP will consider the solutions subject to the actual situation and capacity.
The COVID-19 epidemic is a force majeure event. SNP has been trying to maintain the operations of accommodating vessels, cargo receipt and delivery at yards and warehouses in TCCL and other SNP’s terminals. Hence, in order to fulfill this vital goal, we look forward to receiving the kind understanding, companionship and sharing from the Shipping Lines/Shipping Agents/Customers.
For further details, please contact our hotline at: 18001188 or Zalo: Saigon Newport Corporation.
With very best regards.
On behalf of President
VICE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT
[Signed and sealed]
Mr. Nguyen Phương Nam