Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2019 approved by the Politburo on the construction and development of Da Nang by 2030, with a vision towards 2045, sets the goal of Da Nang becoming one of the major socio-economic centres of Viet Nam and Southeast Asia as a whole, a centre of the marine economy, forming a logistics service supply chain in Viet Nam’s central region with the central role of Da Nang.

Logistics transport enterprises provide services at the concentrated IT Park. Photo: TRIEU TUNG

Promoting the advantage of a traffic hub

Being located at the end of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) and being the gateway to the sea helps Da Nang promote its advantages, gradually becoming the economic, commercial and logistics hub of the region.

The EWEC is an economic development programme initiated at the 8^th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Ministerial Conference in Manila, Philippines in 1998. The programe aims to facilitate economic development and integration for countries along the Corridor. With a total length of 1,450 km, the EWEC passes through 4 countries, starting from Mawlamyine City (Myanmar), through Thailand, Laos and ending in Viet Nam (exactly in Da Nang).

As the end point of the EWEC, directly connecting domestic and international markets, this is of particular importance to help Da Nang expand trade with countries in the region and other parts of the world through an increasingly synchronous and complete transport infrastructure system. In particular, the Da Nang port, the largest seaport in Viet Nam’s central region, is the starting point of the logistics service supply chain to ASEAN countries and the Asia-Pacific region.

As evaluated by experts, Da Nang has many advantages in promoting its position on the EWEC route when important traffic routes such as Cam Lo - La Son and La Son - Hoa Lien expressways are being upgraded and expanded in 2025. In the context of the central cities and provinces making strong breakthroughs, Da Nang needs to affirm its leading role in the economic development of the central region.

In particular, it is essential to develop logistics services to promote local advantages, contributing to realising the goals of the EWEC. Da Nang is focusing on developing logistics infrastructure. In particular, the Da Nang port is not only an important cargo transit facility, but it also eyes to serve large tonnage ships.

Recently, the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport approved the Tien Sa Port, that belongs to the Da Nang Port system) can receive ships with a capacity of up to nearly 50,000 DWT from the fourth quarter of 2024. At the same time, the Da Nang Port Joint Stock Company also put into operation the yard behind wharfs No. 4 and 5 at the Tien Sa Port, with a total area of 37,415 m2, with a capacity of approximately 110,000 TEUs. According to the Da Nang Port Joint Stock Company, up to now, the Da Nang Port has housed 1,700 m of wharf, which can receive general cargo ships up to 70,000 DWT, container ships up to 4,000 TEUs, and passenger ships up to 170,000 GT.

At the forum ‘the Da Nang Free Trade Zone - New driving force for the development of Da Nang logistics industry’ organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade in coordination with the Da Nang People’s Committee on November 14, 2024, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Tran Chi Cuong said that in the coming period, logistics services will continue to be identified by Da Nang as an important industry, having a great impact on socio-economic growth. The city is resolutely accelerating the investment process of key projects such as the Lien Chieu Port, a logistics centre at the Da Nang International Airport as well as other logistics centres and dry ports.

Investment in modern logistics infrastructure is a key factor

On March 29, 2024, at  the Hoa Khanh Industrial Park, Searee Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Joint Stock Company (Searee), a member of Searefico Group inaugurated the Searee Logistics Warehouse. Mr. Nguyen Khoa Dang, the General Director of Searee, assessed that Da Nang has a particularly important strategic position, being the gateway to the sea of the Central Highlands and the countries of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and located on a major international air route, so the use of the Searee Logistics Warehouse will contribute to perfecting the logistics system in the region.

At the same time, it will help meet the growing demand for storage and circulation of goods, creating conditions to promote sustainable economic growth for the Central Coast, Central Highlands, and Da Nang in particular.

Many large projects have been and are about to be implemented, gradually turning Da Nang into a major logistics hub of Viet Nam and a logistics hub in the Southeast Asian region. This is also an aspect that the city focuses on developing, expected to become an important growth driver in the coming years.

Currently, Da Nang only has 16 enterprises providing integrated logistics services, 14 others providing warehousing services, 15 providing loading and unloading services, 16 offering services related to sea transport, while the rest are mainly road freight transport enterprises with 681 units.

The city has planned to develop 5 main logistics centres with a total area of 229 hectares, notably at the Lien Chieu Port (69 hectares) with shared infrastructure; Hoa Nhon (54 hectares); the Da Nang International Airport (8 hectares); the Da Nang High-tech Park (30 hectares).

In recent times, many key logistics projects have also been licensed for investment and implementation in the city. Specifically, the Authority of High-tech Park and Industrial Zones (DHPIZA) has newly licensed the Con Ong Distribution Centre project of the namesake company with a total investment of VND100 billion; the Moc Hoa Logistics Centre project with a total investment of VND250 billion; the automatic sorting project at the Lien Chieu Industrial Park of Viettel Post Company with a total investment of VND729 billion. In addition, the city also supported Da Nang Port Joint Stock Company to invest in a logistics service centre in Hoa Nhon and Hoa Son communes on an area of 20 hectares, with a total investment of VND533 billion.

In particular, to develop logistics by rail, Da Nang will implement a project to relocate the current Da Nang railway station out of the inner city in the direction of relocating the freight station, auxiliary works and railway agencies to the Kim Lien station in Lien Chieu District. In phase 1 of the current Kim Lien station project, it will be upgraded to meet 350,000 tonnes of cargo and 1.5 million passengers/year...

Some investment attraction directions have also been identified by the city to call on large enterprises in the field of international integrated package transportation and delivery such as DHL, Shoppee and FedEx to set up a delivery warehouse in Da Nang with the expectation that by 2026, logistics centres in Da Nang will meet about 30% of logistics processing volume for cargo flows through seaports, 15% through airports, and 20% by train by 2030.

Reporting by TRIEU TUNG - Translating by A.THU