What does Da Nang do to turn its 'gateway' advantage into an international transit point?

To become a freight transit point, Da Nang must attract large shipping lines, increase the capacity to receive ships at Lien Chieu port and Ky Ha port, and closely connect with the free trade zone.

The advantage of synchronizing core elements

Ms. Le Thi Kim Phuong, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Da Nang City, said that to develop logistics, the most important thing is "goods foot". The city does not have abundant local goods sources like Ho Chi Minh City or Hai Phong City, so in designing policies, the city aims to become an international freight transit center.

Logistics experts say Da Nang has the potential and advantages to become an international freight transit point.

Talking to reporters of the Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of the Port Design and Marine Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company, an independent consultant in the logistics field, said that the above orientation is completely consistent with the potential and advantages of the city.

According to Mr. Tuan, Da Nang is facing a historic opportunity to transform itself into a leading regional international trade and logistics center. Da Nang’s advantage does not lie in individual infrastructure, but in the synchronous resonance between core elements.

The city has a unique "dual gateway" position as the end point to the East Sea of ​​the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) and the gateway to the Central region. This is a geo-economic advantage.

With a breakthrough infrastructure such as Lien Chieu port with a dedicated container terminal, the State has invested in public maritime infrastructure, located in a bay with good channel depth, little sedimentation, and the ability to receive large tonnage ships, making Da Nang an important "link" in the global supply chain, comparable to Hai Phong (Lach Huyen) and Ba Ria - Vung Tau (Cai Mep).

In addition, Da Nang has outstanding mechanisms with free trade zones (FTZ) that create an institutional "boost", creating a non-tariff investment environment and transparent procedures. The combination of deep-water seaports (goods flow) and free trade zones (cash flow and policies) creates a complete logistics ecosystem, optimizing costs and time for investors.

In addition, Da Nang plays the role of "coordinating nucleus" of the Central Key Economic Zone. The city provides gateway infrastructure and high-level logistics services (finance, legal, bonded warehouses), effectively supporting industrial production areas in neighboring localities.

The above factors help Danang to become an international freight transit center.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of Port Design Consulting - Marine Engineering Joint Stock Company, independent consultant in the field of logistics

What should Da Nang do?

There are advantages, but to turn potential advantages into reality, according to expert Pham Anh Tuan, Da Nang City needs to have specific directions in attracting goods by sea and air.

For sea routes, Da Nang seaport has two functions: the gateway to the Central region and the gateway to the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC); it is an international cargo transit point.

Regarding freight transit, there will be two cargo flows, including cargo on the EWEC route and other international transit cargo.

For goods on the EWEC route, Lien Chieu port needs to orientate to attract container goods (packed goods), clean goods such as industrial goods, machinery, etc.; while ore and coal goods will be at some other ports. Therefore, there needs to be a connection between ports in the Central region and a specific orientation to attract goods.

For international transit cargo, to attract this flow of goods, the most important thing is that Da Nang City must attract the world's major shipping lines, because these shipping lines shape and coordinate most of the routes and flows of goods. "Therefore, the development of Lien Chieu port needs to pay special attention to choosing a strategic investor with the participation of shipping lines," Mr. Tuan noted.

Another important factor is to closely connect the seaport and the free trade zone. This will become a place for goods to be concentrated, this connection is the bridge to turn Da Nang into a goods center of the whole Central region.

In addition to sea logistics, Da Nang City needs to calculate to exploit aviation logistics well with the advantage of 2 airports. Logistics experts suggest: " Let's consider Da Nang airport as the center for transporting passengers and high-value goods. The main center for transporting goods will be located in Chu Lai. Thus, the 2 airports complement each other."

Cargo transportation at Tien Sa port (Da Nang city)

According to Mr. Tuan, Lien Chieu port is being heavily invested in and will be the main cargo port of Da Nang city. However, to become an international transit center, Lien Chieu port must have the capacity to receive the world's largest mother ships. Currently, Lien Chieu port is only planned for ships of 100,000 tons or larger when qualified. "From the perspective of port planning, I see that Lien Chieu has favorable conditions to be able to receive the world's largest ships. Da Nang city should work and propose to relevant agencies to consider the development orientation for Lien Chieu to be able to develop the world's largest ship sizes. Only then can we aim to become a comprehensive gateway for international transit ," Mr. Tuan recommended.

In addition to the main Lien Chieu port, for the supporting port, Mr. Tuan proposed that Da Nang City study dredging the estuary channel at Ky Ha port to be capable of receiving ships up to 70,000 tons. “Ky Ha port is currently limited by the channel. Da Nang is aiming to dredge the estuary channel for 50,000-ton ships. But for intra-Asia shipping, the size of 50,000-ton ships is not enough, it can be increased to 60,000 - 70,000 tons. We can study dredging the estuary channel to receive ships up to 70,000 tons,” Mr. Tuan proposed.

Logistics experts also agree with the specific policy mechanisms to expand and supplement the Da Nang Free Trade Zone that Da Nang City is proposing and believe that this will promote the formation and attract investment in the free trade zone, creating outstanding policy mechanisms to promote development.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/da-nang-lam-gi-bien-loi-the-cua-ngo-thanh-diem-trung-chuyen-quoc-te-432584.html