International Cargo Seaport: Saigon Port

Ho Chi Minh City is known as the largest city in Vietnam and the country’s financial hub. Saigon Port played an important part in the establishment of the Saigon City, the old name of Ho Chi Minh City. It has become the most important trade center due to its strategic location.

About Saigon Port

The port is located along the Saigon River, 80 kilometers from the Mekong River Delta, which opens up to the South China Sea. It is one of five major ports in Vietnam, including Hai Phong Port, Da Nang Port, Vung Tau Port, and Quang Ninh Port. Due to its location, this port has become an important nodal point for the southeast area of Vietnam.

The History

This port was founded in 1860 during the French Indochina era with the name Saigon Commercial Port. The port was served under a French protectorate from 1862 to 1954 and under South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975.

Before got annexed by Vietnam in the 17th century, Saigon Port was a small fishing village called Prey Nokor inhabited by Khmer people. During the occupation of the French in Indochina, the port becomes the hub for the import and export of materials from the colony.

This port is the place of various industrial activities in Vietnam. Some industries thriving here include chemical manufacturing, shipbuilding, agriculture, seafood processing, and construction.

Today, it is still used as an export-import for goods in south Vietnam. In fact, it has become a very important port in Vietnam and accounts for around two-thirds of the economy of Vietnam.

Volume of Transaction in Saigon Port

The port covers an area of 452,700 square meters, while the old port reached 500,000 square meters. The old port can handle up to 50,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) maximum. Meanwhile, the maximum capacity of the new Saigon Port is 30,790 DWT.

In 2006, it catered to more than 35 metric tonnes of cargo and 1.5 million EEU containers. By 2012, it had already handled 3.5 million TEU of containers, and by 2013, this port had become the 24th busiest container port in the world.

Interesting Facts

Saigon Port was once the capital of the State of Vietnam. When the Vietminh revolution took control of northern Vietnam in 1954, the port and the surrounding area were called South Vietnam. Then in 1955, as the Republic of Vietnam was established, the port became the capital of the country.

After the Vietnam War ended and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was unified in 1976, the port became an area called the Saigon Port. Meanwhile, the capital city of the country was relocated 1760 kilometers from the port, which is a city known as Hanoi.

Today, the city is known as Ho Chi Minh City; however, the old name Saigon is still used around the era, especially for informal situations. The term Saigon is usually also used to refer to the urban district of Saigon Port.