Ho Chi Minh City needs an estimated VND77 trillion ($2.96 billion) to develop its seaport system by 2030.

This is part of a comprehensive development plan for HCM City’s seaport system for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050, which has been approved by the Ministry of Construction.

Of the total investment,  around VND74.5 trillion (more than $2.8 billion) will be earmarked for commercial port operations and cargo handling facilities, and the remainder will be allocated for public maritime infrastructure.

By 2030, the southern city's seaport system will consist of some 41- 44 ports with around 89 - 94 wharves. They are expected to handle between 228 and 253 million tons of cargo and 170,600 to 184,400 passengers per year.

The cargo throughput at the city’s seaports is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 3.5 - 3.8%, while the number of passengers is expected to surge 0.9 - 1%.