🇻🇳 Largest-Ever Container Ship Calls at Hai Phong Port | KBC-LINK News

Largest-Ever Container Ship Calls at Hai Phong Port, Marking a New Stage for Northern Vietnam’s Logistics

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📌 Also recommended: Vietnam Economic Highlights — Aug-Oct 2026

On October 15, 2026, the large container ship ONE FANTASTIC called at TC-HICT (Tan Cang – Hai Phong International Container Terminal) in the Lach Huyen area of Hai Phong Port, northern Vietnam. It is the largest vessel to have called at the terminal since it opened in 2018. This year the terminal also reached the milestone of 1 million TEU in annual throughput, the fifth consecutive year above that level, and held a commemorative ceremony on October 19. It is a single ship, but its arrival reflects the development of port infrastructure and international logistics in northern Vietnam.

■ Port cargo volume up 12.11% year on year

According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), cargo handled at Hai Phong’s seaports in January–October 2026 reached about 182.44 million tonnes, up 12.11% from a year earlier. This is 76.6% of the annual plan.

Behind this growth is the concentration of manufacturing in northern Vietnam. Around Hai Phong, production sites for electronics, auto parts, machinery and textiles are clustered, and imports of raw materials and parts and exports of finished goods are both active.

Looking ahead to the year-end peak season, keeping shipping channels safe and processing large container ships quickly have been identified as priorities.

■ What kind of ship is ONE FANTASTIC?

ONE FANTASTIC is a large container ship operated by Ocean Network Express (ONE).

Main specifications:

・Length: 366 m

・Beam: 51 m

・Gross tonnage: approx. 155,545 GT

・Deadweight: approx. 171,899 DWT

・Maximum capacity: 15,516 TEU

・Year built: 2023

・Flag: Singapore

15,516 TEU is equivalent to 15,516 twenty-foot containers.

At 366 meters, the ship is longer than Tokyo Tower (333 meters) laid on its side, and equal to more than three football pitches (about 105 meters on the long side).

Ships of this size mainly serve major trunk routes, such as those linking Asia and North America. Note that 15,516 TEU is the ship’s maximum design capacity. The actual number of containers loaded depends on the route, cargo weight, draft and other factors. The number loaded on this call has not been disclosed.

■ Why can Hai Phong Port accept large ships?

Hai Phong Port has traditionally centered on river-based facilities, where depth and channel constraints limited the size of container ships it could accept.

That is why a deep-water port was developed in the Lach Huyen area, offshore of Hai Phong. TC-HICT opened in 2018 as the first deep-water container port in northern Vietnam.

Main facilities of the terminal:

・Quay: 2 berths, 750 meters in total

・Access channel depth: approx. 14 meters

・Berth depth: approx. 16 meters

・Annual handling capacity: approx. 1.1 million TEU

・Vessel size: can accommodate mother vessels of up to 14,000 TEU (according to the terminal)

・Track record: a vessel of approx. 171,899 DWT has called (the terminal aims to handle vessels of up to 200,000 DWT in the future)

The “14,000 TEU class” cited by the terminal is a guide to the vessel size it can accommodate. ONE FANTASTIC has a design capacity of 15,516 TEU, but that figure is the ship’s maximum. A port’s ability to accept a ship is judged on the basis of its actual draft and loading condition as well. The annual handling capacity is stated as approx. 1.1 million TEU. With throughput above 1 million TEU for five years in a row, the terminal is operating close to that level.

■ When a port changes, the logistics structure changes too

The benefit of accepting large ships is not only moving more cargo at once. It may also change the transshipment structure of international logistics.

Where large ships cannot call directly, cargo has traditionally been carried by smaller feeder vessels to major hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Busan, and transferred there to large ships bound for North America and Europe. As deep-water ports are developed and large ships can call directly, such transshipment may be reduced.

The terminal currently operates 11 regular services per week: 7 to the United States and 4 within Asia (according to VIR). The terminal also states that its direct services to North America and Europe can shorten transport lead times by 3–5 days compared with current services.

Shorter transport times benefit companies not only in logistics costs but also in inventory and delivery management.

■ Japanese companies are involved in this port, too

This news has another side: its connection with Japanese companies.

ONE was established in 2017 through the business integration of three major Japanese shipping companies: Nippon Yusen, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Kawasaki Kisen. The three remain its shareholders (Nippon Yusen 38%, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines 31%, Kawasaki Kisen 31%).

TC-HICT, where ONE FANTASTIC called, is also a joint venture with Japanese participation. Its shareholders are:

・Saigon Newport Corporation (Vietnam): 51%

・Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (Japan): 17.5%

・Wan Hai Lines (Taiwan): 16.5%

・Itochu Group (Japan): 15%

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is both a shareholder of ONE, which operates the ship, and an investor in the terminal’s operation. Japanese companies are involved in developing and operating Vietnam’s port infrastructure as well.

■ How will logistics in northern Vietnam change?

TC-HICT plans to keep investing in facilities, equipment and technology, aiming to accommodate vessels of up to 200,000 DWT. It also intends to strengthen multimodal logistics combining inland waterways, roads and rail, and to advance digitalization such as ePort and AI.

The development of Hai Phong Port can be seen not as a standalone port project but as part of broader infrastructure development linking northern Vietnam’s manufacturing with international logistics.

For Japanese companies considering production, sourcing or exports in Vietnam, trends in ports and logistics are useful information when weighing their options. KBC-LINK will continue to report on developments in northern Vietnam.

Sources: Vietnam Investment Review (October 17, 2026); Vietnam News Agency VNA (November 3, 2026); TC-HICT official communications; ONE Holdings company profile

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Edited & Summarized by: 

KBC-LINK Editorial Team (compiled with independent perspectives and on-the-ground insights).