The 214,121-DWT Margrethe Maersk, one of the world’s largest container ships, is set to arrive at the Cai Mep International Terminal in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on October 26.

A container vessel docks at the Cai Mep International Terminal. The 214,121-DWT Margrethe Maersk, one of the world’s largest container ships, is set to arrive at the Cai Mep International Terminal in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on October 26

The Margrethe Maersk’s upcoming port call will make the terminal one of the world’s 20 seaports eligible for serving super-large container ships.

The container vessel, operated by 2M Alliance, a container shipping industry alliance between Maersk Line and MSC, is able to carry over 20,568 twenty-foot equivalent units at a time and stretches some 400 meters in length, a representative of the Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC).

The representative of VIMC said that the fact that the port can receive such huge container ships would benefit Vietnam’s imports and exports, especially when the country has signed several free trade deals such as the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Vietnam’s goods will be directly shipped to many large markets, including Europe and the United States, without transiting at ports in Singapore or Malaysia, helping save logistics costs, reduce transport time and improve competitiveness.