49 container vessels scheduled to call in Yangon Port in Dec

According to the Myanma Port Authority, Yangon Port is bound to handle 49 container vessels in December.
In December, six container vessels, each run by Samudera Shipping Line and COSCO Shipping Line, five each by Sealand Maersk Asia and MSC Line, four by SITC Line, three each by PIL Line, ONE Line, RCL Line, Evergreen Line and CMA CGM Line, two by IAL Shipping Line, BLPL Shipping Line and Land & Sea, and one each by BAY Line and Ti2 Container Line are slated to dock at Yangon Port.
This year, 52 container vessels arrived at Yangon Port in January, 51 in February, 55 in March, 50 in April, 56 in May, 57 in June, 53 in July, 54 in August, 53 in September, 49 in October and 50 in November.
Yangon Port handled a total of 620 container vessels last year. Thanks to the draft extension, the international ocean liners can access the inner port for now, according to the Myanma Port Authority’s statement on 22 June.
After the new navigation channel (Kings Bank Channel) accessing the inner Yangon River was found, the draft extension work was accelerated. Afterwards, the port can now handle larger ships. The container vessel (185.99-metre LOA, 35.25-metre Beam, 29,232 GRT and 2,698 TEU) Hong Kong-based SITC Shipping Line docked at Asia World Port Terminal for the first time on 22 June. That vessel is the largest ship that AWPT Port has ever handled.
From May 2021, the arrival of the ships at terminals in Yangon has increased again. To fulfil the seaborne trade requirements, three new container vessels by Maersk Line Myanmar (Sea Land Maersk) started to run in 2021.
Earlier, the larger ships had draft problems preventing sailing on the Yangon River. The draft was extended up to 10 metres, and more giant ocean liners could enter Thilawa Port.
The coast of Myanmar is 2,228 kilometres (1,260 nautical miles), including the Rakhine coastline 713 kilometres, delta region 437 kilometres and Taninthayi coastline 1,078 kilometres, stretching from northern Bangladesh’s border to southern Thailand’s border area.
There are ten seaports along the coastline, including Yangon Port, Thilawa Deep-Sea Port, Kyaukphyu Deep-Sea Port, Sittway Port, Thandwe Port, Pathein Port, Mawlamyine Port, Dawei Deep-Sea Port, Myeik Port and Kawthoung Port.
Seaborne trade accounts for 75 per cent of foreign trade. However, Yangon Port, including Thilawa terminals, is the only international port, and the remaining ports in eight cities are designated for domestic use only. — NN/EM