Margrethe Maersk docks at  Cai Mep International Terminal on October 25 afternoon (Photo: VNA)

Ba Ria – Vung Tau (VNA) – Margrethe Maersk , one of the world’s largest container ships, docked at Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) in Phu My township, the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau , on October 25.

The 214121-DWT vessel, operated by the 2M Alliance led by Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company, is able to carry over 18300 twenty-foot equivalent units and stretches nearly 400m in length and 59m in width.

With the ship’s call, CMIT became one of about 20 major ports worldwide capable of handling vessels of this size, establishing its position on the global navigation map.

The terminal’s capacity to receive ships of over 214000 DWT was said to be significant as Vietnam has signed several free trade deals such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement ( EVFTA ) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), hoped to fuel trading activities.

Vietnam’s goods can be directly loaded onto big vessels and shipped to many large markets like Europe and the US without having to transit ports in Singapore or Malaysia, thus saving logistics costs and reducing transport time./.

VNA