Cambodia is going to build a new multi-purpose deep-sea port alongside the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port within the Sihanoukville Port Special Economic Zone (SPEZ) to transport goods directly to the United States.
In a statement, the Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol said the new port would handle 93% of ships in the Asia-Pacific region and be “deep enough” to handle the world’s largest vessels.
The objective is to allow mega-ships to call at the new port and bypass the current major hubs in China and Singapore.
As well as that, it will be designed to make exporting goods from Cambodia to the US cheaper and more efficient for domestic businesses.
The new port will be built with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), an organisation that looks to increase trade collaboration across Asia.
In August 2017, the JICA issued a $207 million loan to Cambodia to build a new container terminal at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, a story Port Technology International (PTI) reported on.
Cambodia is one of several countries in the middle of two major Asia-trade initiatives, China’s New Silk Road and India’s International North South Trade Corridor.
