With cooperation with the shipping giant MSC to operate commercial voyages at the Lạch Huyện deep-water port cluster, Hải Phòng Port is taking "great strides" out to the open sea.
On the afternoon of April 16, the first commercial vessel named MSC MAKALU III, part of MSC’s Orchid service route, officially docked at berths 3 and 4 of the TIL International Terminal Hai Phòng (HTIT). This event marked an important milestone for the official commercial operation of the new deep-water container terminal in the Lạch Huyện – Cát Hải cluster, Hải Phòng.
This event not only marked the formal commercial inauguration of the deep-water container terminal at the Lạch Huyện port cluster but also increased Hải Phòng Port’s regional container market share to 40%, alongside 60% for non-container cargo—a historic advance for a northern seaport enterprise.
TIL International Terminal Hai Phòng (HTIT), located in Lạch Huyện, Cát Hải, was designed to receive ultra-large container ships, leveraging Hải Phòng as Vietnam’s maritime gateway. HTIT is the newest member in the ecosystem of terminals managed by Hai Phòng Port JSC, including Hoàng Diệu, Chùa Vẽ, Đình Vũ, Tân Vũ, and HTIT; total container throughput in 2024 exceeded 29.9 million TEU, an increase of 21% year on year. When HTIT operates at full capacity, Hải Phòng will strengthen its leading position in the North, ease congestion at traditional ports, and improve connections with major ocean services like MSC’s Orchid.
A Hai Phòng Port representative told Diễn đàn Doanh nghiệp, “In recent times, with the efforts of the investors and Hai Phòng Port JSC, we have completed the opening of phase 1 at berths 3 and 4, investing in advanced technology.”
“To operate berths 3 and 4 effectively, we established a joint venture between Hai Phòng Port and MSC’s terminal operator TIL. We believe this cooperation will bring positive results for all parties. For Hai Phòng Port, this is our first official ‘great stride’ out to the open sea—carrying the aspirations of many generations of port staff,” the representative added.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is the world’s largest container shipping group. Founded in 1970 in Naples, Italy, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, by November 2024, MSC owned and chartered nearly 6 million TEU of capacity—3.2 million owned, 2.98 million chartered—holding about 20% of the global container market. Over 900 vessels, 215 service routes, and a network of 524 offices in 155 countries give MSC a superior advantage in connecting continents and integrated logistics services.
MSC’s decision to call the MAKALU III at HTIT not only signals investment confidence in the Vietnamese market but also shows Hải Phòng Port’s readiness to join the long-haul service network of top global shipping lines. On the Europe–Asia Orchid route, the MAKALU III exemplifies the trend toward ultra-large vessels on long-haul journeys that optimize cost and transit time.
According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, in 2024, total cargo throughput through seaports reached 864.4 million tons, up 14% year on year. Container volume reached 29.9 million TEU, up 21%, indicating record-high container shipping demand in Vietnam. Ship calls through ports reached 102.67 thousand, up 2%, while inland vessel calls reached 380.1 thousand, up 8%. Cargo volume handled by Vietnamese-flagged ship fleets rose 3% to 140.9 million tons, with domestic container volume at 3.04 million TEU, up 11% over 2023. Mr. Nguyễn Cảnh Tĩnh, CEO of VIMC, affirmed that with this growth momentum, Vietnam has the potential to match Singapore in the near future.
Meanwhile, Hải Phòng—with the deep-water port at Lạch Huyện and strong road and rail connections to Hanoi—is well positioned to become Southeast Asia’s logistics hub. The port must accelerate completion of internal infrastructure, expand storage areas, digitize customs procedures, and enhance value-added service competitiveness. For businesses, close ties with major shipping lines such as MSC, Maersk, or CMA CGM will ensure stable freight flows, diversified services, and reduced dependence risk.
Investment incentives, development of logistics zones with a national one stop window, and training maritime logistics workforce are essential for Hải Phòng to maintain and increase its market share, targeting 50 million TEU annually by mid decade. Multilateral cooperation with international financial institutions to fund green infrastructure (LNG piers, shore power) will help the port reduce emissions and comply with IMO environmental regulations.
Overall, the call of the MSC MAKALU III at HTIT is not just a testament to Hải Phòng Port’s capacity to receive mega ships—it affirms Vietnam’s maritime sector’s ambition to sail further. To transform this potential into sustainable advantage, strong coordination between government, businesses, and international partners in infrastructure investment, digital transformation, and talent development is vital. The challenges are formidable, but the opportunity is equally vast: if Hải Phòng seizes this golden moment, the northern seaport could evolve from simply hosting MSC to becoming a key growth engine propelling Vietnam onto the regional and global stage.