Connecting the seaport centers of Vietnam and Belgium

Hai Phong - the leading seaport center in the North, is not only an important trade transit point, but is also considered an "industrial gateway" with a rapidly developing and sustainable logistics ecosystem. In an effort to expand cooperation and introduce potential, the Hai Phong city delegation visited and worked in Antwerp, Belgium, one of the leading logistics centers in Europe.

Photo caption — Hai Phong City Party Secretary Le Tien Chau speaks at the conference.

According to a VNA correspondent in Brussels, on December 4, in Antwerp, local businesses and government agencies attended a workshop with the theme “ Discovering new generation investment locations in Hai Phong”. The event took place within the framework of a visit and working session by a Hai Phong delegation led by Secretary of the City Party Committee Le Tien Chau, with the participation of city businesses. Representatives of the Belgian Senate, the Antwerp government and Belgian businesses investing in Vietnam were also present, alongside Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the European Union (EU).

Hai Phong and Antwerp-Bruges - two strategic port cities in Southeast Asia and Europe - are showing many remarkable similarities. Both play the role of import-export gateways, handling huge volumes of goods each year and being logistics hubs for large economic regions. Hai Phong, with the Lach Huyen - Dinh Vu - Cat Hai port system, has become the largest port in Northern Vietnam and Southeast Asia, connecting conveniently with the Northeast Asian market through many modes of transport. Meanwhile, Antwerp-Bruges is the second largest port in Europe, leading in the field of chemical and automobile cargo, handling up to 290 million tons of cargo per year, more than 10 million TEU containers, and connecting deeply into the European mainland.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Le Tien Chau affirmed that Hai Phong always considers the development of enterprises as a measure of the effectiveness of the government. With the spirit of considering the goals and difficulties of enterprises as the common responsibility of the city, he emphasized that Hai Phong is committed to accompanying and creating the most favorable conditions for international investors to feel secure in cooperating and developing sustainably in the long term.

From a business perspective, Mr. Bruno Jaspaert, General Director of DEEP C Industrial Park Complex and Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), highly appreciated the advantages that European businesses can exploit when shifting their operations to Hai Phong. According to him, the attractive factor lies not only in the strong support of the Hai Phong government but also in the comprehensive incentive package for investors, including tax incentives and the formation of a local duty-free zone. Mr. Bruno likened Hai Phong to a “strategic gateway” of Northern Vietnam, similar to Antwerp’s position in Europe: where raw materials enter and finished products exit, connecting to a large market behind.

Speaking to VNA reporters, Mr. Bruno emphasized that the ports of Antwerp (Belgium) and Rotterdam (Netherlands) have opened up the entire European market, similar to the current role of Hai Phong in Northern Vietnam. He affirmed the importance of a well-invested and developed seaport system, considering it a solid sign for the future economy. According to him, Vietnam is experiencing impressive growth, at 8% this year, and Hai Phong is an important link in that picture.

Following these strategic directions, the representative of OMGEVING Group introduced the Master Plan for the Southern Hai Phong Economic Zone (SPHEZ), a project that has just been completed in collaboration with Van Aelst Nguyen & Partners (VA-NG) and partner DEEP C. The project has a scale of up to 20,000 hectares and is expected to become a strategic economic driving force, contributing to strengthening Hai Phong's role on the national and regional development map. SPHEZ, located in the southern coastal area of the city, has been approved by the Vietnamese Government to be established in 2024. The plan not only aims at economic growth but also builds strong sustainable development ambitions, towards a comprehensive development model. In particular, the "blue-green" network is considered the most important highlight, playing the role of ecological backbone and development space of the entire economic zone.

Sharing the views of the local government, Ms. Nabilla Ait Daoud, Deputy Mayor of Antwerp in charge of education, socio-economics, expressed her desire to strengthen cooperation with Hai Phong, and recalled the 28-year relationship between the city and the DEEP C Group. She highly appreciated the cooperation between ACKERMANS & VAN HAAREN, DEEP C and Hai Phong, considering this a clear demonstration of the potential for sustainable development based on a trustworthy economic relationship.

Within the framework of the workshop, leaders of Hai Phong City Party Committee and representatives of DEEP C Industrial Park Complex exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation, marking a new step forward in efforts to attract strategic investment.

With its special seaport position, increasingly complete industrial infrastructure and open policies, Hai Phong is asserting itself as a potential destination for European investors in their journey to expand operations to Asia.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/ket-noi-trung-tam-cang-bien-cua-viet-nam-va-bi-20251205192242864.htm