What is Hai Phong's logistics sector still lacking to organize its supply chain?

Removing bottlenecks behind the port.

During the period 2021-2025, Hai Phong's logistics services are expected to grow at an average rate of over 10% per year, contributing approximately 11.5% to the city's GRDP. At Lach Huyen, six berths have been put into operation with a total berth length of approximately 2.4 km and a designed capacity of about 4.7 million TEU/year. The deep-water port system facilitates the direct delivery of goods from the North to distant markets, reducing reliance on transshipment through foreign ports.

According to the Hai Phong Economic Zone Management Board, the projects for berths No. 7 and No. 8 have a total investment of approximately VND 14,766 billion, with a designed capacity of 1.9 million TEU/year, and are currently completing procedures to strive for commencement of construction by the end of 2026. The projects for berths No. 9 to No. 12 have a total capital of approximately VND 24,846 billion and will be constructed in phases from 2026 to 2035. Upon completion, these projects will further enhance the operational capacity of the Lach Huyen port area, strengthening Hai Phong's role as an international maritime gateway.

However, large-scale investment also necessitates the synchronization of connecting transportation, warehousing, and post-port services. This is because port capacity is only effectively utilized when goods from production areas to the port are transported smoothly, minimizing waiting times and transshipment costs.

Based on practical experience at Lach Huyen, Mr. Phung Ngoc Minh, Deputy General Director of Saigon Newport Corporation, noted that road connections and post-port infrastructure have not kept pace with the increasing capacity of berths. Vehicles entering and exiting the area heavily rely on the Tan Vu – Lach Huyen route, while inland waterway transport has not developed proportionally to share the pressure. When six berths are operating simultaneously, the redundancy of this connection directly impacts cargo handling.

Water transport has significant potential but is not yet being effectively exploited. According to a representative from Macstar Group, the percentage of containers transported by waterway and coastal transport in the North is only about 2-2.3%. As a gateway port for the region, Hai Phong has the conditions to develop this mode of transport to reduce pressure on road transport.

However, difficulties exist at both ends of the route. At some seaports, vessels have to wait for berths and cargo handling schedules. Industrial zones, on the other hand, lack convenient cargo consolidation and unloading points and container yards connected to waterways. Adding to this are the costs of lifting, transshipment, and transportation at both the initial and final stages, narrowing the advantage in freight rates. The imbalance in cargo volume between the outbound and return routes also makes it difficult for businesses to maintain regular service.

Therefore, investment in inland ports, logistics centers, and waterways needs to closely follow the needs of each production region. These hubs must be able to consolidate goods, balance containers, and organize stable transportation schedules. This is a prerequisite for businesses to choose suitable transportation methods and reduce costs throughout the entire journey.

The organization of the logistics network needs to take into account the supply of goods from localities within the region. According to aggregated data from Saigon Newport, the import and export turnover of six localities including Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Hanoi , Ninh Binh, Hung Yen, and Quang Ninh in 2025 reached approximately US$416.5 billion. This is a large market for Hai Phong port to expand its services, but the ability to attract goods depends on connections with each production region. Therefore, it is necessary to develop cargo consolidation points, inland ports, and distribution centers near industrial zones, and organize convenient transportation to the port, helping businesses reduce time and costs for delivery.

Retain added value from your product line.

Seaports and sources of goods provide the foundation, but to organize a supply chain, logistics businesses must be able to connect many stages, from raw material supply to product distribution.

Participating in a discussion at the 7th Regional Logistics Forum 2026 recently held in Hai Phong, Mr. Dinh Huu Thanh, General Director of Bee Logistics, posed a noteworthy metric: "How many supply chains of Vietnamese businesses and international corporations are organized from Hai Phong?"

This question relates to the value that the city can derive from logistics activities. Besides transportation and handling, businesses need to develop services such as inventory management, packaging, labeling, order fulfillment, and distribution. By handling multiple stages, logistics companies can become more deeply involved in their customers' production and business operations.

According to Mr. Thanh, logistics centers need to become hubs for coordinating the supply chain. Goods are collected, sorted, stored, and value-added services and customs procedures are performed before distribution or export. To operate effectively, it is necessary to clearly define the functions performed at the center, simplify procedures, and reduce duplicate inspections.

Furthermore, data needs to be interconnected between all parties. Information on vessel schedules, cargo handling plans, warehouse status, empty containers, and vehicles, if scattered, will limit coordination capabilities. Data sharing should enable businesses to proactively arrange vehicles, reduce waiting times, and improve the accuracy of delivery plans.

The procedures for cargo handling also need to be reviewed. Saigon Newport reported that cargo transported between ports in the Lach Huyen cluster or between ports and inland ports still requires separate transport declarations. Businesses proposed researching a comprehensive electronic management system for intact, sealed containers, with tracking capabilities, to limit repeated declarations when core information remains unchanged.

Speaking at the 7th Regional Logistics Forum, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung instructed Hai Phong to continue to leverage its role as a logistics hub in the North; to research and develop an integrated model of seaport - logistics - industry - trade and urban development, especially in the Lach Huyen and Nam Do Son areas, linked with the Dinh Vu - Cat Hai Economic Zone and the Free Trade Zone. The city should consider its international gateway port system and multimodal logistics as a unique advantage and a long-term growth driver.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the mindset for logistics development must shift strongly from administrative boundaries to economic regions, economic corridors, and supply chains. Localities need to strengthen coordination, share resources, and limit scattered and overlapping investments. The ultimate goal is to reduce logistics costs for the economy, individual businesses, and individual goods; and to improve productivity, connectivity, and competitiveness of goods.

For Hai Phong, fulfilling this requirement necessitates linking port expansion with improved post-port connectivity, data interoperability, and the development of integrated services. When businesses have the capacity to coordinate everything from raw material supply to product distribution, the city will have a solid foundation to become a supply chain hub, creating additional value from its port advantages.

LE HIEP