Proposal to amend and increase support level for container shipping lines via Cua Lo Port

Accordingly, the Draft submitted to the Provincial People's Council to amend Resolution No. 03/2023/NQ-HDND, the province proposed to maintain the support level of VND 100 million/trip for shipping lines licensed to operate container transportation business to unload or load or both unload and load at Cua Lo Port. Unloading or loading or both unloading and loading is considered a port call.

However, for shipping lines that open international container shipping routes through Cua Lo Port (Nghe An), to encourage them, the province proposed to increase the support level from 300 million VND/port call to 450 million VND/port call. The condition is that shipping lines are licensed to operate international container shipping business according to regulations and unload or load or both unload and load at Cua Lo Port.

For businesses with exported or imported goods transported by container through Cua Lo Port, the province also proposed an increase in support levels, accordingly, 20-foot containers from 600,000 VND/container to 1 million VND/container; 40-foot containers from 1 million VND to 1.5 million VND/container.

Previously, at the meeting to evaluate 2 years of implementing support policies under Resolution 03, businesses said that from 2021 to 2023, the revenue of container shipping lines operating regular routes through Cua Lo Port continuously decreased and suffered losses.
However, thanks to the province's support policy in Resolution No. 03/2023/NQ-HDND dated July 7, 2023, which partially offset the costs, the operation was still maintained.

Therefore, businesses proposed that the province continue its support policy; at the same time, commit to strengthening connections, calling on other shipping lines and businesses with import and export goods to exploit container transportation, especially direct transportation from Cua Lo Port to international seaports and vice versa. At the same time, gradually reduce transit through intermediate ports such as Hai Phong, Nghi Son, Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, changing from road transport to sea transport via Cua Lo Port, reducing transportation costs, creating competitiveness for goods produced in the province, the province continues to support part of the transportation costs for businesses with goods transported by container.

Mr. Le Tien Tri - Head of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board added: Resolution No. 03/2023/NQ-HDND stipulating the policy to support shipping lines transporting international and domestic containers to Cua Lo Port, applicable for the period 2023-2025, will expire at the end of this year. To continue, along with the proposal to continue this specific policy, the Board, together with departments and branches, proposed that the Provincial People's Committee consider increasing the level of support to ensure it is suitable for practice and competitive with neighboring provinces.