German shipping company buys 2,000 'Made in Vietnam' containers

Hãng tàu nước ngoài liên tục đặt mua vỏ container do Việt Nam sản xuất - Ảnh: CÔNG TRUNG — Foreign shipping lines continuously order containers made in Vietnam - Photo: CONG TRUNG

Ms. Andrea Schöning, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Container Line, signed a contract to purchase 2,000 20DC containers for Hapag-Lloyd, manufactured by Hoa Phat Container Manufacturing Joint Stock Company, on July 29.

Container with anti-theft hinges and locator

This shipment is designed according to the standards set by the shipping line, with advanced features and reinforced chassis to carry heavy cargo, meeting the requirements of the shipping market. Each container is inspected by inspectors appointed by Hapag-Lloyd and a recognized classification society.

The container has a maximum load of 32,500kg, the door is equipped with anti-theft hinges and special positioning devices for easy monitoring during transportation.

To get orders from major shipping lines in the world, Mr. Vu Duc Sinh, director of Hoa Phat Container Manufacturing Joint Stock Company, said that since the new container factory started operating, Hapag-Lloyd has organized many tours and exchanges.

Inspection and testing to ensure containers meet set standards is a focus of shipping lines.

Container shells are manufactured at Hoa Phat container factory in Phu My II Industrial Park expansion, Phu My town, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.

It is expected that Hoa Phat will study and invest in phase 2 at the appropriate time to reach a total capacity of 500,000 TEU/year.

Hapag-Lloyd is the largest container shipping company in Germany and is among the top 5 container shipping companies in the world.

According to Mr. Vu Duc Sinh, the German shipping company's purchase of container shells not only opens up opportunities for strategic cooperation but also affirms that "Made in Vietnam" containers have met international standards in the most demanding markets.

The German shipping company has a fleet of 264 container ships. The total transport capacity is 2 million TEU. The company has 400 offices in 135 countries, providing 113 sea transport services worldwide, with quick connections between more than 600 global ports.

In the port and infrastructure sector, Hapag-Lloyd has holdings in 20 ports in Europe, Latin America, the United States, India and North Africa. The company's approximately 2,600 employees are active in port-related activities and provide complementary logistics services at strategic locations.

Vietnamese enterprises gradually become self-sufficient in container supply

In fact, the empty container market is currently vibrant but largely depends on foreign enterprises, with few Vietnamese enterprises producing.

Shipping lines and container leasing companies not only own ships but also provide containers for customers to pack goods such as Maersk, MSC, COSCO, Triton, CAI, Florens, Seaco, SeaCube, Beacon... Their number of containers is not small, accounting for 40% to 50% of the entire market.

In Vietnam, Vinafco, Ratraco... operating logistics services, road and rail transport also have their own containers, but the quantity is very small and usually to diversify services.

Despite the potential, not every business can produce container shells. There were Vietnamese businesses that participated in production but then had to stop operations.

According to logistics experts, self-sufficiency in empty containers is a long-term story for Vietnam to gradually become self-sufficient in supply, and not let goods lose competitiveness due to increased container prices.