3 seaport master plan projects to be developed in 2024

	Building smart customs at international seaports
	Seaport container handling fees to be adjusted from mid-February 2024
	Smart Customs - Strengthening the development of free trade zones/free seaport areas

Goods volume through seaports increased by 5%

Reflecting on the difficulties in 2023, at the Vietnam Maritime Administration's annual review meeting for 2023 and the plan deployment for 2024, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang stated that the world is going through a very difficult phase, with conflicts in some regions being unpredictable, and post-Covid-19 economic downturns in many countries affecting various aspects of life, including the maritime sector, especially in terms of cargo sources, markets, and maritime transportation.

According to Mr. Thang, along with facing numerous challenges, the maritime sector must also meet global trends in reducing emissions, a common global standard. Vietnam must change to adapt. Without research and solutions, the country could be excluded from the competition, leading businesses into difficulties, and even to bankruptcy.

However, despite these challenges, in 2023 the total volume of goods passing through seaports still reached 756.8 million tons, an increase of 5% compared to the same period in 2022. Containerized goods were estimated at 24.7 million TEUs, equal to the same period last year. The number of maritime vessels passing through ports reached 99.15 thousand turns, a decrease of 1% compared to the same period last year. The number of domestic waterway vessels increased by 2%, and the number of passengers through seaports reached 7.04 million, an increase of 17% compared to 2022.

As of December 2023, Vietnam had 1,449 registered ships in the National Ship Registry, with a total tonnage of over 13.7 million tons and a total capacity of over 7.2 million GT (including 977 transport ships with a total tonnage of over 11.1 million tons and a total capacity of over 6.6 million GT).

Statistics from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) also show that in 2023, the Vietnamese-flagged fleet ranked 3rd in ASEAN and 22nd in the world. The Vietnamese maritime fleet decreased in quantity compared to 2022 but increased in total capacity and tonnage.

The Vietnamese maritime fleet is still on the Tokyo MOU White List; however, Hoang Hong Giang, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, said that in 2023, maritime businesses faced many difficulties due to the impacts of the pandemic and international conflicts.

"Due to the economic recession, high fuel prices, and inflation, the demand for maritime transportation has significantly decreased in major consumer markets, partly due to reduced purchasing power and slow economic recovery, leading to a sharp decline in transportation costs," Mr. Giang shared.

In 2023, the total volume of goods passing through seaports was estimated at 756.8 million tons, an increase of 5% compared to the same period in 2022. Photo: Internet.

First comprehensive seaport-centered master plan

In 2024, the Maritime Administration will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies and units to develop 3 planning projects, including: Adjusting the Master Plan for the Development of the Vietnamese Seaport System for the period 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050; Detailed planning of port groups, docks, wharves, buoy areas, and water areas for the period 2021-2030, oriented towards 2050; and Detailed planning for the development of land and water areas in seaports for the period 2021-2030, oriented towards 2050…

Notably, this is the first time Vietnam has a comprehensive master plan centered on seaports. Therefore, the Minister of Transport believes that besides the requirement to quickly complete the planning projects for consideration and decision by the competent authorities, all maritime sector-specific planning must have a long-term vision, flexibility, synchronization, and professionalism; it is necessary to take the direction from seaports and identify seaports as the hub connecting other modes, especially with railways and inland waterways. At the same time, the Vietnam Maritime Administration also needs to coordinate with localities to implement these plans effectively and synchronously.

According to the Minister of Transport, seaport planning needs a long-term, synchronized, and professional vision, but the investment process also needs to be flexible, and even adjusted when realities change. For existing ports, it's necessary to calculate the linkage of port businesses to increase competitiveness. For newly invested ports, only one entity with potential should be involved, or else joint ventures and collaborations, even with leading global businesses, should be considered.

"Besides, inland waterway docks are needed in seaports, as this is Vietnam's advantage with its long coastline and diverse river systems. Good connectivity is a condition for reducing logistics costs. In Japan, with similar natural conditions to Vietnam, their maritime and coastal transportation handles up to 55% of the transport volume. In Vietnam, when maritime and inland waterway transportation is well connected with other modes, we have the opportunity to even lower logistics costs below the global average," Minister Nguyen Van Thang shared.

He also emphasized that to achieve this, there must be projects and plans to increase the market share of goods transportation by sea and along the coast, especially on the North-South axis.