According to the Vietnam Seaport Association, the current seaport container handling fees in Vietnam are only about 50 percent of the average price in the region. At the Cai Mep deep-water port, the average container handling fee is approximately US$57 per 20-foot container and US$85 per 40-foot container, equivalent to 51 percent and 53 percent of the charges at ports in Singapore and 44 percent and 43 percent compared to ports’ fees in Hong Kong (China).
Although the Ministry of Transport recently approved a 10 percent increase in container handling service fees at seaports compared to the previous rates, businesses said this adjustment does not cover the investment, operational, and maintenance costs at Vietnamese ports.
The fees of container handling services that are lower than in the countries of the region will create a capacity imbalance, affecting the competitiveness of Vietnamese ports.
In addition, the low container handling service fees will prevent port businesses from lacking funds to keep up with the global maritime industry's trends of greening and digitization, such as investing in renewable energy systems, emission treatment, and infrastructure supporting green transportation.
