TCIT Reaches 2 Million TEUs for the Third Time: The Momentum of Vietnam’s Leading Deep-Sea Port

One Milestone – Three Journeys

According to TCIT, this is the third time in the terminal’s history that it has surpassed 2 million TEUs in a single year, and each time has been tied to a distinctive story.

In 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic and a fractured global supply chain, TCIT first crossed the 2-million-TEU mark on December 17, with total throughput of 2,089,555 TEUs - a year of “weathering the pandemic,” striving to keep cargo flows from being disrupted. In 2021, as the pandemic remained complex and transport demand fluctuated sharply, the 2-million-TEU milestone came later, on December 25, with 2,028,308 TEUs handled - at a time when TCIT’s management, staff, and workers had to “eat together - stay together - work together” at the terminal to ensure safe, uninterrupted operations.

By 2025, global supply chains continued to restructure, tariff policies shifted frequently, operating costs climbed, and green and sustainable development requirements became increasingly stringent. In such “high seas,” TCIT once again achieved the 2-million-TEU milestone earlier than in the two previous phases—on the morning of November 24. This demonstrates the terminal’s adaptability, operational capacity, and “one-step-ahead” mindset in maintaining smooth trade flows.

Three milestones, three different contexts - from a pandemic shock to supply-chain restructuring - yet the common thread remains: the tougher the conditions, the more steadfastly TCIT innovates and rises.

Spreading the Value of Trust from Shipping Lines and Customers

The 2,000,000-TEU milestone is not just a “nice number” printed in a throughput report; it is evidence of TCIT’s operational capability and the market’s confidence in the terminal. TCIT is currently operating 12 international service routes, connecting major ports across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. The terminal can receive mother vessels of up to 173,724 DWT, handle Cambodian transshipment cargo via feeder systems, and serve domestic cargo through barge and trucking networks linking destination ports and industrial parks.

As total volumes across the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area rise rapidly, gateway ports face mounting pressure on infrastructure and operational capacity. Under such conditions, maintaining service quality and stable growth is far from easy. TCIT must simultaneously raise berth and yard productivity while strengthening coordination with shipping lines, transport operators, and suppliers to keep the logistics chain running smoothly - minimizing the risk of “bottlenecks” as volumes surge.

A TCIT representative said that, alongside improving handling productivity, the terminal has worked with shipping lines to expand hinterland connectivity to ICDs and destination ports, developing satellite yards to ease yard pressure and shorten cargo release times. TCIT has also promoted direct delivery/gate-out (GNTT) through incentive policies and optimized transport routing, helping import - export supply chains remain flexible amid market fluctuations.

The Saigon Newport Ecosystem - Digital Logistics and the 2026 Vision

TCIT does not stand alone. As a member unit of Saigon Newport Corporation, and a focal point within the ecosystem of the Marine Economy Corps (Corps 20) under the Ministry of National Defence, TCIT is supported by an integrated nationwide logistics network - from seaports (feeder and deep-sea), ICDs/depots, pilotage services and tug support, warehousing and yards, to multimodal transport and value-added logistics services.

At the current pace, TCIT’s total throughput for 2025 is projected to reach about 2.2 million TEUs, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s largest deep-sea container terminal by volume and the second-largest terminal nationwide by throughput - behind only Tan Cang–Cat Lai. This is a source of pride not only for TCIT’s workforce, but also for the entire Saigon Newport system and Vietnam’s port - logistics sector.

Entering 2026, as Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas are positioned to develop into a mega-urban region with strong investment in transport - logistics - port infrastructure, TCIT aims to firmly reinforce its standing as “Vietnam’s leading deep-sea container terminal.” The terminal will deepen integration with the network of ports, ICDs, and industrial parks, while accelerating value-added logistics services - remaining steadfast on the path of digital and green transformation, and aligning with the ESG objectives of shipping lines and customers.

From today’s milestone, TCIT is entering a new phase with aspirations not only to remain the import–export gateway for Vietnam’s dynamic Southeast region, but also to become a modern, green, and digital value-added logistics hub, more deeply embedded in global supply chains. The more containers arrive at and depart from Cai Mep, the clearer the momentum of a pioneering deep-sea terminal “riding the waves and reaching further” becomes - reflecting Vietnam’s strong outward rise toward the open sea.