Competition Heats Up Between Maersk and MSC for Vietnam's $6 Billion "Can Gio Mega Port"
Competition Heats Up Between Maersk and MSC for Vietnam's $6 Billion "Can Gio Mega Port"
Vietnam's planned Can Gio International Transshipment Port in the south is positioned as one of the most strategically significant port investments for Southeast Asia over the coming decade. This massive "super-port", to be constructed at a cost of approximately $6 billion USD, aims to challenge Singapore's regional transshipment leadership with an annual capacity target of roughly 16.9 million TEU.
In recent months, industry circles have been dominated by the perception that "MSC is the natural winner of the project"; indeed, MSC's terminal arm TIL has been the official bidder for Can Gio since 2022 and remains the most active party working on the project. Discussions with Vietnamese officials and the design proposals submitted by TIL had positioned MSC in an early leading position.
However, a high-level meeting in November 2025 between Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam has shifted the balance. Clerc's visit indicates that Maersk has formally entered the race for this mega-port on Vietnam's southern coast. During the meeting, the Vietnamese side explicitly invited Maersk to participate in Can Gio and the Lien Chieu port project in Danang for "green and smart port investments".
A New Competitive Order After 2M
The 2M Alliance (Maersk–MSC) will formally end in January 2025. This separation has pitched the two carriers not only toward different operational network strategies, but also into direct competition over terminal ownership & port dominance. Vietnam, particularly at a time when manufacturing supply chains are partially shifting away from China, represents a critical "future hub market" for both companies.
Now Maersk and MSC's objectives are no longer aligned; instead, their aim is to limit each other's influence.
MSC has long been aggressively expanding its terminal portfolio, and Can Gio is viewed as a vital piece of the "independent transshipment empire" the company seeks to build in Southeast Asia.
Maersk is in pursuit of green deep-water ports that will serve its integrated end-to-end logistics network in line with its net-zero objectives. Can Gio, with infrastructure designed for energy efficiency and carbon optimization, aligns with Maersk's new strategy.
Clerc's emphasis during the meeting that "Vietnam is a strategic market for us" demonstrates the company's intent to be not merely a terminal operator, but an active investor in the country's logistical backbone.
Why Is Can Gio So Critical?
The project's importance stems not only from its capacity; three strategic factors stand out:
Geographic Advantage: Its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City provides direct access to the Mekong Delta and industrial zones in the East-West corridor.
Potential to Challenge Singapore: Shifting a portion of regional transshipment traffic northward could dramatically increase Vietnam's share of the transshipment market.
Global Trade Restructuring: Vietnam sits at the center of production shifts within the China+1 strategy. Consequently, a mega-port hub becomes a priority in the network planning of global liner operators.
It is known that Hai Phong – Lach Huyen Port currently has Maersk (APM Terminals) and MSC (TIL) preparing to open terminals side by side. However, the real competition will unfold in the country's south, at Can Gio. While northern competition is terminal-based, the southern race is becoming a battle for transshipment dominance.
Potential Outcomes and Sector Impact
The investor selection for the Can Gio project will be determined over 2026 through ongoing diplomatic discussions, financial evaluations, and sustainable port design criteria. If:
MSC secures the project → Vietnam will become one of the central hubs in MSC's global transshipment network.
Maersk succeeds in gaining entry → Southeast Asia's network will be reshaped, strengthening Maersk's end-to-end logistics strategy.
Analysts note that Vietnam has the opportunity to leverage competition between the two shipping giants to improve the project's financial, technical, and environmental terms.
Key Highlights:
Can Gio International Transshipment Port value is approximately $6 billion USD; capacity is 16.9 million TEU.
MSC (TIL) has held a leading position in the project since 2022.
Maersk (APM Terminals) entered the race in 2025 through high-level engagements.
The end of the 2M alliance is sharpening competition.
Vietnam is opening Can Gio and Lien Chieu ports to investors for "green and smart" investments.
----------
News Link: https://shippingwatch.com/carriers/Container/article18805818.ece
--------------------
Author: SedatOnat.com
--------------------
!!! ANNOUNCEMENT !!!
How to Implement ERP? Our Book is Now Published on Google Play Books.
#What Is ERP?
https://www.sedatonat.com/erpnasilalinir You can download and read it free of charge through this link.
We would be delighted to receive your feedback.
Wishing you happy reading from the start.