The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has ordered the cessation of licensing for foreign container ships beginning January 1, 2013, in an effort protect the domestic shipping industry.
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Passenger ships will still be eligible for licenses for routes that Vietnamese ships are unable to service.
The licensing of foreign vessels in Vietnam has been a source of controversy to local sipping companies, who fear that international shipping firms will out-compete them. Also, many Vietnamese companies have complained that foreign firms can get around the 15-year rule for the age of ships by registering them abroad while licensing them here.
