Proposal to revise and increase subsidies for container shipping companies operating through Cua Lo Port.

Accordingly, in the draft submitted to the Provincial People's Council to amend Resolution No. 03/2023/NQ-HĐND, the province proposes maintaining the support level of 100 million VND/trip for shipping companies licensed to operate container transport business that perform unloading or loading, or both unloading and loading, at Cua Lo Port. Unloading or loading, or both unloading and loading, is counted as one port call.

However, to encourage shipping companies to open international container shipping routes through Cua Lo Port (Nghe An), the province proposes increasing the support level from 300 million VND/shipment to 450 million VND/shipment. The conditions are that the shipping companies must be licensed to operate international container shipping services according to regulations and perform unloading, loading, or both unloading and loading operations at Cua Lo Port.

For businesses exporting or importing goods transported in containers through Cua Lo Port, the province also proposed increasing the support level, accordingly, from 600,000 VND/container for 20-foot containers to 1 million VND/container; and from 1 million VND/container for 40-foot containers to 1.5 million VND/container.

Previously, at a meeting reviewing the two-year implementation of the support policy under Resolution 03, businesses reported that from 2021 to 2023, the revenue of container shipping companies operating regular routes through Cua Lo Port continuously declined and resulted in losses.
However, thanks to the provincial support policy outlined in Resolution No. 03/2023/NQ-HĐND dated July 7, 2023, which partially offsets costs, the facility has been able to continue operating.

Therefore, businesses proposed that the province continue its support policies; at the same time, they committed to strengthening connections and encouraging other shipping companies and businesses with import and export goods to utilize container transport, especially direct transport from Cua Lo Port to international seaports and vice versa. Simultaneously, they aimed to gradually reduce transshipment through intermediate ports such as Hai Phong, Nghi Son, and Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, the shift from road transport to sea transport via Cua Lo Port reduces transportation costs and enhances the competitiveness of goods produced in the province. The province continues to provide partial transportation cost support for businesses whose goods are transported by container.

Mr. Le Tien Tri, Head of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, added: Resolution No. 03/2023/NQ-HĐND, which stipulates the policy to support shipping companies transporting international and domestic containers to Cua Lo Port, is applicable for the period 2023-2025 and will expire at the end of this year. To continue this, along with proposing the continuation of this special policy, the Board, together with relevant departments and agencies, requests the Provincial People's Committee to consider increasing the support level to ensure it is appropriate to the practical situation and competitive with neighboring provinces.