QUẢNG NAM — As a new export gateway in the central and Central Highlands regions, Chu Lai Port belonging to Trường Hải International Logistics Limited Liability Company (THILOGI) has expanded in scale and upgraded the entire services chains to achieve its target of becoming a major international freight forwarding hub for import and export of goods in the region.

Located in the heart of the Central Key Economic Region, Chu Lai Port has convenient transport connectivity as it is directly linked to National Highway 1A, coastal roads, Đà Nẵng - Quảng Ngãi highways, and large industrial clusters such as Tam Thắng Industrial Park (Quảng Nam), VSIP Industrial Park and Dung Quất Economic Zone (Quảng Ngãi).

It's also connected with borders with countries along the East-West economic corridor.

The port has been invested methodically in terms of infrastructure and equipment to develop a wide range of full-package services chains that are capable of serving a variety of goods such as liquid, gas, container cargo, non-standard large and heavy pieces, and bulk cargo, up to four million tonnes a year.

The warehouses are built to international standards and divided into specialised areas like bonded warehouses, ordinary warehouses, cold storage, and container yards.

Incorporating ports with multimodal transport is the optimal solution to increase input cargo sources, and reduce shipping time and costs.

Chu Lai Port is developing both domestic and cross-border road transport routes, enhancing the exploitation of domestic waterway transport routes and starting maritime routes in collaboration with partners to directly connect to major shipping ports in China, Korea, Japan, and India.

Currently, it is expanding its berth by 365m downstream to build a wharf that is capable of handling ships of 50,000 tonnes.

Identifying a seaport system as a growth driver for its economic development, Quảng Nam Province is zoning Chu Lai Port as a grade I port, investing in a new channel in Cửa Lở to ensure easy access for large ships and developing the port into a maritime logistics hub and a commercial and tourist port with a strategic goal of becoming a major gateway for local and international trade in the central region.

Diversified cargo sources

In the logistics sector, having regular customers with a lot of cargo is very important. Chu Lai Port has a great advantage in this regard thanks to THACO Group. THACO's regular shipments of automobiles, components, agricultural products, and others through the port have helped mitigate a lack of empty containers, helping customers reduce costs and shorten shipping time.

 The port has also strengthened links with businesses in the central and Central Highlands regions, Laos and Cambodia (where there is great demand for shipping agricultural exports and raw materials for production), and promoted transportation between the south and north.

The Nam Giang border gate is set to be upgraded to an international border gate, which will help promote transport on routes from northern Thailand to Pakse and Sekong (Laos), Nam Giang and Chu Lai, bringing more cargo to the port.

Chu Lai Port also provides a variety of services with optimal cargo handling plans and quick customs procedures, and so attracts large import-export firms such as Hòa Phát Steel, Millennium Furniture, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, Sun Paper Laos, Asia, and Thagrico.

More than 10,800 containers of components and 1,500 containers of agricultural products, and 17,200 tonnes of wood chips and many other goods passed through the port in the first quarter of 2021.

The throughput of goods through the port is expected to reach four million tonnes this year, an increase of 53 per cent from 2020.

With its rapid development and THACO Group’s large investment in logistics activities, Chu Lai Port promises to make a major contribution to solving the biggest bottlenecks in waterway transport in the central region, thus attracting more foreign investors to the region. VNS