With well organized system, big space, multi-user facilities, and convenient location, the warehousing services support in bound logistics, distribution, and aftermarket services in a way to improve inventory management, reduce total operating costs, and improve cycle times.

From major cities to destination, we consolidate and manage the movement of merchandise to distribution centers and retail outlets around the globe. We also offer complete documentation and information services, giving you end-to-end visibility of your materials as they move through the supply chain.

Chea Fat’s consolidation services improve reliability and reduce supply chain costs.

Sihanoukville is the main deep-sea port of Cambodia. The Port of Sihanoukville, situated in the Bay of Kompong Som, is the principal and only deep-water maritime port of Cambodia. Kompong Som’s natural advantages include deep waterinshoreand a degree of natural protection from storms provided by a string of islands across the mouth of the bay. The port was built in 1959 with a total capacity of 1.2 million encompassing the old French-built wharf and adjacent new facilities. The capacity of Sihanoukville port, in its present condition, is estimated at about 950,000 tones per year, excluding POL which has separate facilities. This is about twice its present traffic. The port can accommodate ships of 10,000-15,000 tons deadweight (DWT).

The main access to the port is via a 3 km fairway channel, marked by buoys and leading lights for daylight navigation only. Due to rocky outcrops in the channel, the entrance to the port is restricted to vessels with a draft of less than 8.0-8.5 m. In practice boats of up to about 10,000 DWT can use the port. The port is located 540 nautical miles (1000km) from Singapore.

On the land side, the port is served by National Highway No. 4 (NH4, 240km to Phnom Penh), the main link between Phnom Penh and the coast, and the “New” railway line, completed in 1969, which takes a more southerly route via Kampot. The rail distance to Phnom Penh is 263km. The railway is in poor condition and handled only some 15% of the port traffic in 1993. Aid from the United States is earmarked for an immediate project to resurface the entire length of NH4 as well as to rebuild several bridges between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. Roads within Sihanoukville municipality itself are all hard surfaced, albeit of somewhat lesser quality and poorer condition than NH4.

As part of its program to upgrade transport infrastructure in Cambodia, the Asian Development Bank is funding some modest improvements at the port. Immediate investments include the following: new forklift truck for container movement; repair old jetty; replace fenders; replace navigating aids and allow for night navigation; improve container storage yard; and install area lighting to permit night working. There are also reports that French assistance may finance a quayside container crane. (Currently, in the absence of a dedicated crane, the port claims to be able to move 200 containers per 24 hours).

Several warehouses are available providing a total storage area of approximately 6,000 square meters. The two wharfs have a total of five warehouses, one of which is being let out to an oil exploration company. The warehouses have been under-utilized in recent years because of their poor condition, particularly their leaky roofs. Warehouses 1, 2 and 4 are now being repaired under the SRA Project. They have a combined capacity of about 36,000 cube meters. Warehouse 3 was repaired earlier with domestic funds. Container storage and handling is also available. The container yard is 50,000 square meters in area. Regular and direct shipping links with Singapore and Bangkok are in place, with Cambodian-flag shipping (Camtran Ship) being the dominant carrier. In 1993, 15,000 TEU’s (20 food equivalents) passed through Sihanoukville Port. An estimated 80 percent of the containers had origin/destination in Singapore. Behind the warehouses fronting the new wharf, there are railway platforms and tracks as well as a container parking area of some 17,600 square meters. The container area is now being resurfaced under SRAP. Both wharves are also rail-connected.

Phnom Penh depends on access via the Mekong through the delta area of Vietnam. The Phnom Penh port is the country’s traditional river port, accessible to vessels from the South China Sea through Vietnam. Phnom Penh port is located in the city

(Tonle Sap river), some 3-4km from its junction with the Mekong. It is some 330 km from the mouth of the Mekong of which about 100 km is in Cambodia and the rest in Vietnam. The distance from Singapore is about 1450km. Vessels of up to 2,000 DWT can use the route without difficulty, and 5,000 DWT boats can pass the entrance to the Mekong (the ‘Main bottleneck) on favorable tides. Regular dredging is necessary at three points in Cambodia for the 5,000 DWT vessels to reach Phnom Penh. The port serves up to 150 ships per year, including 3 Singapore-based cargo vessels which take 10-12 days for the return voyage.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The main-cargo port consists of two sites, generally called Port No. 1 and Port No. 2:

Port No. 1 (the main port) consists of a 184-m long pier built in reinforced concrete, plus three pontoons for sea-going vessels. There are two berths, known as Berths 4 and 5, which can accommodate ships up to 2,000 DWT and 4,000 DWT, respectively. Some 540m of domestic pontoon capacity is available for river ships and barges of up to 100m or 1,800-2,000 tons. The pontoons are served by lighters and junks. There are other berths available for small craft. There are 12 depots of 2,700 sq m and 5,910 tons storage capacity within some 180 m of the berths, plus open storage of some 4,300 sq. m. There is another warehouse complex at Kilomet 6 (Phnom Penh) having 15 sheds with a total capacity of 70,000 tons and 8 sheds of nearly 4,000 tons. Although actual crane capacity is not dear, there are 12 cranes- i.e. two 25-ton, four 16-ton, and six 6.5-ton cranes.

Port No. 2, about 1km south of the main area, consists of two 45 m by 10 m steel pontoons. Due to the long and narrow bridges and the seasonal variation in water levels, these two berths can not be reached by equipment. The capacity of the main port (No. 1) has been estimated at about 150,000 tons per year, a figure already exceeded. This port is now to be rebuilt with the aid of a Japanese grant. The improvements are expected to increase the capacity to some 566,000 tons per year. As an interim measure, Port No. 2 will be rehabilitated under a World Bank credit. When the improvements to Port No. 1 are completed, Port No. 2 could perhaps revert to domestic use (up to 1991, Port No. 2 was for domestic use only).