Construction on a US$15 million project to expand Vietnam International Container Terminal ( VICT) started in Ho Chi Minh City on Jan. 23.

The investor of the project is the First Logistics Development Company, a joint venture between Vietnam, Singapore and Japan.

With the quay's total length increased by 192 metres to 678 metres, VICT will be able to receive four containers at the same time. The container terminal is expected to reach an annual capacity of 900,000 TEU by 2008, doubling the figure of 2006.

The VICT is the leading container terminal in Vietnam. It received the "Emerging Container Terminal" award in 2002 from Lloyd's List Maritime Asia.