The groundbreaking ceremony for the VSICO Quang Tri Inland Port at the Lao Bao International Border Gate in late March 2025 is opening up opportunities for the development of logistics in the border region and strengthening trade connections along the East-West Economic Corridor between Vietnam and Laos, Thailand, and other countries in the region. This will accelerate the progress of the Lao Bao - Densavanh Cross-Border Economic and Trade Zone project, creating momentum for border economic development.
Panoramic view of Lao Bao International Border Gate - Photo: LE MINH
Competitive advantage
The reason why VSICO Maritime Corporation chose Lao Bao to invest in its dry port project is its competitive location and existing potential strengths. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Ha, General Director of VSICO Maritime Corporation, Lao Bao is situated on the East-West Economic Corridor, conveniently connected to the Densavanh border gate and the central port system such as Cua Viet Port, My Thuy (Quang Tri), Chan May (Hue City), Tien Sa (Da Nang City), and Hon La ( Quang Binh ).
Furthermore, the Lao Bao International Border Gate boasts one of the most vibrant trade activities in Central Vietnam, with import and export turnover increasing year after year. In 2024, the total number of passengers entering and exiting reached 609,178, an increase of 18.59% compared to 2023; the number of import and export declarations reached 10,588, an increase of 28.15%; import and export turnover reached US$645.77 million, an increase of 45.87%; the weight of goods imported and exported through this border gate reached 1.18 million tons, an increase of 53.63%; the number of vehicles entering and exiting reached 230,683, an increase of 11.8%; on average, there were about 620 vehicles entering and exiting through the border gate daily; the number of transit declarations reached 24,780, an increase of 24.25%. The total value of goods in transit reached $8.93 billion, an increase of 12.2%.
In particular, the Lao Bao - Densavanh Cross-Border Economic and Trade Zone project is a crucial economic project between Vietnam and Laos, currently under negotiation by the governments of both countries. Furthermore, the Lao Bao International Border Gate area has 1,238 individual business households and 245 business households in Laos; the annual value of production, trade, and services reaches thousands of billions of dong.
Key project in the border area
The VSICO Quang Tri Inland Port Project is a key project, included in the development plan for the inland port system for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The project covers an area of 85,782 m² , with a total investment of 236 billion VND; a cargo handling capacity of 3.5 million tons/year, including 100,000 TEU/year for containerized cargo and 1,000,000 tons/year for bulk cargo; a storage capacity of 250,000 tons; estimated annual revenue of 200 billion VND, and contributions to the state budget of approximately 25 billion VND.
The project will provide essential services such as cargo handling, warehousing, transportation support, and customs clearance. This is the first inland port in the Lao Bao International Border Gate area – one of the important international border gates of the East-West Economic Corridor, directly connecting Vietnam with ASEAN countries.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Ha, General Director of VSICO Maritime Joint Stock Company, the VSICO Quang Tri Inland Port will play a strategic role as a logistics center, helping to alleviate pressure on seaports, save transportation costs, and shorten customs clearance time. The project is expected to be completed and operational in the first quarter of 2026, creating further impetus for the development of the Lao Bao border economic zone and surrounding areas.
Furthermore, the project promotes regional economic and cooperation activities. It not only facilitates import and export operations but also contributes to attracting investment, expanding markets, and developing transportation infrastructure in the border region. Once operational, this inland port will significantly enhance the competitiveness of Quang Tri province in particular and Vietnam in general on the regional logistics map.
The project also promises to create hundreds of new jobs, increase workers' incomes, and develop a logistics service business ecosystem. At the same time, the inland port will help reduce pressure on road routes, facilitating faster and more efficient goods circulation.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the VSICO Quang Tri Inland Port project marks a new development in the logistics sector of the border region, opening up great opportunities for the economic, trade, and international cooperation development of Quang Tri province in the future.
Realizing the Lao Bao - Densavanh Joint Cross-Border Economic and Trade Zone
The commencement of the VSICO Quang Tri Inland Port at the Lao Bao International Border Gate creates a proactive advantage and promotes the formation of the Lao Bao - Densavanh cross-border economic and trade zone. This is an important economic project between the governments of Vietnam and Laos. The project aims to create a new dynamic economic zone for both countries, strengthen economic cooperation, promote the development of the border region, and create favorable conditions for the development of Quang Tri's economic, trade, and industrial sectors.
The Lao Bao - Densavanh Cross-Border Economic and Trade Zone is planned to be built in the border area between Vietnam and Laos, at the Lao Bao - Densavanh border gate. The total area of the economic zone is expected to be 3,224 hectares, of which 1,724 hectares are in Quang Tri province (Vietnam) and 1,500 hectares are in Savannakhet province (Laos). The project aims to create a modern, multi-sectoral economic zone with integrated technical and social infrastructure. The economic zone will include industrial parks, export processing zones, a free trade zone, tourist attractions, and other service sectors.
This project will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 (2024-2025) involves seeking government approval and negotiations between the two sides to finalize the Agreement on the establishment of the Lao Bao - Densavanh Joint Cross-Border Economic and Trade Zone; Phase 2 (2026-2030) focuses on attracting investment, developing infrastructure, and finalizing common preferential mechanisms and policies; Phase 3 (after 2030) comprehensively promotes all aspects of cooperation.
Le Minh
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/khu-cang-can-vsico-quang-tri-dong-luc-moi-cho-kinh-te-bien-gioi-192608.htm
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