Ministry of Industry and Trade to organize Vietnam Logistics Forum 2024

Vietnam Logistics Forum 2024, coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, will take place in early December 2024.

Establish a regular dialogue mechanism between management agencies and businesses

The Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that the Vietnam Logistics Forum 2024 will be the 12th forum held. This year's forum is held in a context with many new features. Accordingly, the implementation of bilateral, multilateral and new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs) requires businesses to make efforts to improve their competitiveness. In addition, the world economy in 2024 is forecast to continue to face many difficulties and challenges. Increasing geopolitical tensions, complicated and prolonged military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, escalating conflicts in the Gaza Strip, and attacks on shipping activities in the Red Sea have affected the global supply chain.

Vietnam Logistics Forum 2024, coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, will take place in early December 2024.

Along with that, the explosive growth trend of e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce, along with the increasing demand for green logistics and sustainable development, is both an opportunity and a challenge for the Vietnamese logistics service industry. In the context of the world still having many unstable factors, opportunities and challenges intertwined, organizing the Vietnam Logistics Forum 2024 to discuss, propose and recommend the implementation of many solutions to develop logistics services needs to be identified as one of the key tasks in the country's economic development.

2024 is also the sprint year for ministries, branches and localities to focus resources, remove difficulties and obstacles to complete assigned tasks to achieve the goals of logistics service development set out in Decision No. 221/QD-TTg dated February 22, 2021 of the Prime Minister amending and supplementing Decision No. 200/QD-TTg approving the Action Plan to improve competitiveness and develop Vietnam's logistics services by 2025. At the same time, prepare for the completion and promulgation of the Vietnam Logistics Services Development Strategy for the period 2025 - 2035, with a vision to 2050 with major orientations and breakthrough solutions to continue to take advantage of opportunities, turn Vietnam's logistics service industry into a spearhead service industry, improve the competitiveness of goods in particular and the economy in general.

Therefore, in order to continue implementing the Prime Minister's direction in Decision No. 200/QD-TTg dated February 14, 2017 and Decision No. 221/QD-TTg dated February 22, 2021, of the Government in Resolution No. 163/NQ-CP dated December 16, 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade organizes the Vietnam Logistics Forum 2024 to establish a coordination mechanism and regular dialogue between state management agencies and domestic and foreign logistics enterprises, creating a close connection and promoting logistics growth with production and import and export of goods.

Topic "Free Trade Zone - Breakthrough Solution to Promote Logistics Growth"

Vietnam has many potentials and advantages in developing logistics services such as being strategically located in a dynamically developing region of the world, having a growing economy, deep international integration, being the 8th emerging market with large consumption, e-commerce with a strong development trend, being the new production center of the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, Vietnam has the advantage of a geographical location towards the sea, favorable for international transportation with a 3,260 km long coastline, many deep-water ports, international airports, a cross-national railway system and a convenient transportation network, etc.

PV GAS's LNG terminal warehouse in Thi Vai - Ba Ria Vung Tau. Photo: MH

Recently, Vietnam has been actively researching free trade zones around the world. This is a type of economic zone that can bring many benefits to Vietnam, contributing to promoting logistics services. Currently, Vietnam does not have a free trade zone. Recently, the National Assembly approved the pilot mechanism for establishing a free trade zone in Da Nang city, which is the basis for piloting new policy research, as a premise for legalizing regulations on free trade zones for the whole country.

In the context of Vietnam's deep integration into the regional and world economy, active participation in FTAs ​​and with geo-economic advantages, the research, proposal to implement the construction, establishment and development of free trade zones should be carried out early to take advantage of opportunities, contributing to giving Vietnam's logistics service industry more opportunities to develop and participate more deeply in the global logistics supply chain.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau is a coastal province in the Southeast region, located in the Southern Key Economic Zone, at the gateway to the East Sea of ​​the provinces in the Southeast region, connecting with Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities by road, inland waterway and air.

In recent years, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has achieved many achievements in attracting FDI, developing production, boosting exports, and playing a leading role in regional connectivity in the Southeast. Thanks to budget revenue from oil and gas, investment in industrial development, seaport economy and services, the province has had positive changes with complete and synchronous investment in transport infrastructure and is one of the leading cities in the country in terms of per capita income. By 2030, the province will focus on increasing the proportion of the service sector in the economic structure, with special attention to tourism, finance, seaports and logistics.

In addition, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW dated October 7, 2022 on socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the Southeast region until 2030, with a vision to 2045. The Prime Minister also issued Decision No. 370/QD-TTg dated May 4, 2024 approving the Southeast Region Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

Accordingly, the orientation is "Forming a free trade zone associated with seaports in Cai Mep Ha area in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province" . Along with that, Decision No. 200/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister also assigned the task of " Supporting the improvement of exploitation efficiency, marketing and expanding goods sources, increasing the flow of goods at Cai Mep - Thi Vai port cluster in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, making the port cluster a hub for collecting and transiting goods in the region " . The early establishment of a free trade zone in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province will be an important lever contributing to increasingly deeper international integration, attracting investment capital, creating resonance to unleash the existing potential of this locality.

To convey this message, gradually change the awareness of authorities and businesses related to the establishment, investment and development of free trade zones to promote trade, investment and international economic integration, orient and encourage multinational logistics corporations as well as large logistics enterprises to pay attention and proactively cooperate in investing in supply chain operations to soon improve competitiveness in the current context, the Vietnam Logistics Forum 2024 (VLF 2024) organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in coordination with the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province with the theme "Free trade zones - breakthrough solutions to promote logistics growth" will take place at The Grand Ho Tram Hotel (Phuoc Thuan commune, Xuyen Moc district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province). This is also the theme of the Vietnam Logistics Report 2024 to be announced at the forum.

The plenary session of the forum will be attended by the Prime Minister.

With the importance and prestige of the forum affirmed over the years, Comrade Pham Minh Chinh, Politburo member, Prime Minister will attend and direct the Forum. The Forum brings together more than 500 delegates including leaders of relevant ministries and branches; leaders of provinces and cities under the Central Government and the Southeast; representatives of international organizations in Vietnam, associations, logistics service enterprises, production and import-export at home and abroad, experts and media and press agencies nationwide.

The plenary session of the Forum will be attended by the Prime Minister and leaders of ministries, branches and localities. Within the framework of the Forum, there will be a thematic workshop held in the afternoon of the same day with in-depth specialized content, revolving around the theme of the Forum.

Before that, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will organize a field survey team at major ports and logistics centers in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province as well as neighboring areas for delegates attending the Forum. Delegates who are not able to attend in person but are interested in the Forum will follow all activities through the program's online channels.

Vietnam Logistics Forum is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade since 2013 to coordinate activities to promote the development of logistics services, create a connection between logistics and manufacturing and import-export industries, and is also a place for dialogue and updating information on urgent issues of logistics services in Vietnam and the world.

Through 11 previous events, the Forum has received the attention and appreciation of Government leaders, ministries, localities, and enterprises, becoming a prestigious and familiar brand for the domestic and foreign logistics business community, a gathering place for state management agencies, logistics, manufacturing, and import-export enterprises to exchange and dialogue on current issues of the logistics sector in Vietnam and propose solutions to improve the business environment for this service industry. Since 2018, the Forum has been attended and chaired by a Politburo member, with the participation of leaders of many ministries, localities, associations, and enterprises.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/bo-cong-thuong-sap-to-chuc-dien-dan-logistics-viet-nam-2024-356113.html