Promoting Vietnam - Poland trade through new maritime routes

New ship connections between the ports of Gdańsk and Vung Tau will be started in early 2025. Illustration photo: ST

Bilateral trade is increasingly vibrant

Mr. Tran Ngoc Liem, Director of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry in Ho Chi Minh City (VCCI Ho Chi Minh City), said that in recent times, the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Poland has been continuously strengthened in all areas, especially trade and investment relations. Currently, the two countries are actively implementing many activities towards the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Poland (February 4, 1950 - February 4, 2025).

In particular, Mr. Liem said that Vietnam and Poland are two countries with strengths in the agricultural sector, the products of the two sides basically do not compete directly and complement each other. Poland currently has a great demand for Vietnam's export strengths such as rice, tra fish, basa fish, shrimp, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, coffee, cashew nuts… Meanwhile, Poland can supply Vietnam with many products such as fresh and processed foods, fresh and canned fruits, concentrated fruit extracts, high-quality beef, lamb, pork… produced according to EU standards. These are products with a large import demand of Vietnam. With many years of experience in developing high-tech agriculture, Poland can share its experience in improving

Regarding investment relations, as of October 31, 2024, Poland has invested in 33 projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of about US$ 474 million. Of which, there are 10 projects in Ho Chi Minh City alone. Poland's FDI projects in Vietnam are mainly 100% foreign-owned projects, focusing on the fields of real estate business, manufacturing and processing industry, and information and communication...

Mr. Paweł Krężel, Director General of the Department of Maritime Economy and Inland Waterways, Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland, assessed that Vietnam was emerging as an increasingly influential country in the global economy, opening up to new markets around the world. Vietnam was one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, ranking 36th globally, with an impressive GDP of over US$ 408 billion in 2022. Therefore, Mr. Paweł Krężel assessed that this is a great opportunity for Polish enterprises to establish and expand their presence in this dynamic market.

In particular, the 2020 Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) eliminated more than 99% of customs duties on goods traded among the two sides, further encouraging Polish and Vietnamese enterprises to expand trade. “This is an ideal time for Polish businessmen who have not yet penetrated the Vietnamese market to take a deeper look and consider exploring possibilities on a broader scale,” said Paweł Krężel. At the same time, the significant increase in demand for Vietnamese goods and services has firmly positioned Vietnam as a major supplier to Poland, with import volume from Vietnam reaching nearly 10 times the volume of Polish exports to Vietnam. This trajectory underscores Poland’s growing dependence on Vietnamese products and paves the way for even deeper bilateral trade relations.

Expectations for new shipping routes

With great potential, opinions are that in order to expand the two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Poland, maritime transport activities play a very important role. Recognizing this opportunity, on November 28, Gdańsk Port, the largest seaport in Poland, organized the Vietnam - Poland Trade Conference (Business Mixer) in Ho Chi Minh City to promote cooperation in the seaport and shipping industry among the two countries.

Ms. Dorota Pyć, CEO, Port of Gdańsk said that with its strategic location on the Baltic Sea and significant investments and modernization, the Port of Gdańsk had developed into an important gateway for Central and Eastern Europe, providing great access to important European markets and partners. Accordingly, Ms. Dorota Pyć expressed her desire to make the Port of Gdańsk a gateway connecting Vietnam as well as Southeast Asian countries with the Central and Eastern Europe region.

Ms. Dorota Pyć also added that due to the tense relationship between the US and China, many enterprises were moving their factories to Southeast Asia and Vietnam was one of the prominent destinations in this trend. Therefore, the flow of goods from Southeast Asia to markets, including Europe, is forecast to increase in the coming time. However, this also poses risks when many shipping routes are becoming crowded. The tension in the Red Sea is a typical example. Currently, shippers must find new routes to ensure the efficiency of international trade activities.

In this context, in February 2025, new shipping connections between the ports of Gdańsk and Vung Tau will be launched, marking a new era in Polish-Vietnamese economic cooperation. MSC’s weekly services including BRITANNIA (westbound) and ALBATROS (eastbound) as well as additional weekly services operated by the GEMINI alliance will significantly increase the efficiency and volume of trade among the two countries. “This will be a promising maritime route for transport connections between Asia and Europe”, Dorota Pyć emphasized.

Mr. Dominik Landa, Director of Strategy and Development, Gdańsk Port Authority, said that previously, goods from Vietnam to Poland and vice versa had to be transited through the port in Singapore. With the opening of a direct shipping route from Vung Tau to Gdańsk port, the time and cost of transporting goods would be greatly reduced. Thanks to that, import and export activities would be more convenient and help promote trade among the two countries.