Free trade zone before new opportunities

The project to build a free trade zone in Da Nang has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance for consideration and is seeking comments from central ministries and branches. What has attracted the attention of many people is that recently, the leaders of Quang Nam province proposed to move the investment location in Da Nang city to Chu Lai Open Economic Zone.

Chu Lai - Truong Hai seaport in Tam Hiep commune, Nui Thanh. Photo: HUU PHUC

The estimated scale of the Da Nang Free Trade Zone when the infrastructure is completed and functional areas are synchronized is about 2,317 hectares, including more than 300 hectares of reclaimed land; non-adjacent locations connected to Lien Chieu seaport and Da Nang airport.

In phase 1 to 2029, the total investment is expected to be about 35,000 billion VND. Phase 2 after 2029, the expansion orientation is in Tien Sa port area, urban reconstruction area at the railway station in the city center...

Expect a breakthrough opportunity

According to the People's Committee of Da Nang City, this will be the first free trade zone in Vietnam, integrating logistics, seaport, airport functions, associated with trade, service, production activities and other supporting functions. The free trade zone will be an opportunity to increase the added value of the tourism , trade and service sectors in the central coastal region.

According to Resolution 136 dated June 26, 2024 of the National Assembly , Da Nang Free Trade Zone will be attached to Lien Chieu Seaport. This is a functional area with defined geographical boundaries, established to pilot mechanisms and policies aimed at attracting investment, finance, trade, tourism and high-quality services.

Many economic experts believe that one of the important factors for a free trade zone to be formed and operate effectively is a synchronous and modern infrastructure that will help reduce storage costs, shorten transportation time and improve competitiveness.

In the document proposing additional contents to the Project on rearranging provincial administrative units (merging Quang Nam province and Da Nang city) of the People's Committee of Quang Nam province, there is a proposal to adjust the construction location of the Free Trade Zone being planned in Da Nang to Nui Thanh district - the area with the most advantages for logistics development in Quang Nam at present.

The coastal area of ​​Quang Nam from Thang Binh to Nui Thanh will be more strongly activated in the future thanks to the remaining room for development. Photo: NGAN THANH

Giving the reason for this proposal, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Van Dung said that Chu Lai will make a stronger breakthrough if it is invested in a free trade zone associated with the development orientation of Chu Lai airport according to the Prime Minister's Decision dated January 17, 2023 approving the Quang Nam Provincial Planning for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050 and the Chu Lai Container Logistics Center has been approved for planning, proposing to invest in a deep-water port of over 50,000 tons.

At this stage, Quang Nam is determined to invest in a duty-free zone associated with Chu Lai airport with a planned area of ​​over 223.2 hectares, located in Nui Thanh town and two communes of Tam Quang and Tam Nghia (Nui Thanh). This location is adjacent to the seaport, airport, and highway.

The provincial government calls for strategic investors to invest in Chu Lai airport. If the duty-free zone and free trade zone coexist, the southernmost land of Da Nang city after the merger will certainly grow strongly.

Investment problem

At the dialogue conference between enterprises in the fields of production, import-export, and logistics organized by the People's Committee of Da Nang City in mid-April 2025, Mr. Tran Thanh Hai - Deputy Director of the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that now is the time to reconsider the Project to establish a free trade zone in the context of merging Quang Nam province into Da Nang.

Chu Lai Airport. Photo: HUU PHUC

Because, with Da Nang currently, the area is small, but it will be very large after merging with Quang Nam. "Does the free trade zone have to be located in Da Nang now, or can we propose that the Chu Lai area of ​​Quang Nam has the Chu Lai seaport and airport?" - Mr. Hai raised the question.

Architect Hoang Van Su - former Director of the Institute of Urban and Rural Planning of Quang Nam province analyzed that when placing the Free Trade Zone in Da Nang, the strength is the super international connection location near the seaport (Tien Sa, Lien Chieu), Da Nang international airport, central railway station, North - South expressway axis; located in a city with a strong international brand, high-quality human resources, suitable for a commercial center oriented towards financial development - logistics - high technology, AI...

“

The optimal solution is to locate a free trade zone focusing on the financial and high-tech services sector in Da Nang City (an area reclaimed from the sea with a suitable scale, minimizing environmental impacts or on land of abandoned projects near Lien Chieu Port). Locate a free trade zone for the manufacturing and logistics sector in Chu Lai, as an industrial and logistics satellite for the Da Nang Free Trade Zone. This combined model will help separate the functional spaces of services and production; redistribute population and labor. At the same time, it will help optimize the geographical advantages and brands of each region; reduce the load on the old Da Nang urban area, which has limited space and overloaded infrastructure."

Architect Hoang Van Su

However, Mr. Hoang Van Su also acknowledged that Da Nang's land fund is limited, and it is necessary to expand space by reclaiming the sea, which increases the cost of land clearance, infrastructure construction, and complicates the marine environment. There are many risks that will change the flow of rivers and seas; destroy and erode strongly at river mouths and sea mouths; and disrupt the ecosystem of Da Nang Bay. Once the population is concentrated, it will put pressure on the transportation system, technical infrastructure, and urban services.

Meanwhile, if located in Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, according to Mr. Su, the plus point is having a large land fund, available industrial infrastructure, logistics, seaport, and Chu Lai airport.

“A free trade center located in Chu Lai will easily attract manufacturing, logistics, light industry, and electronics assembly industries. This place already has a foundation for a duty-free zone, logistics zone, automobile manufacturing and assembly, etc.; it is close to the East-West Economic Corridor, connecting ASEAN-Laos-Thailand through the Nam Giang border gate. However, being located in Chu Lai, the international brand is weaker than Da Nang, and has not been prioritized by financial and high-tech investors…” - Mr. Su analyzed.

If the free trade zone is located in Chu Lai, it will promote the strengths of Chu Lai airport, Ky Ha seaport and Tam Hoa port, and will strongly activate the entire coastal area from south Thang Binh to Tam Ky, Nui Thanh, becoming a high-tech industrial zone.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/khu-thuong-mai-tu-do-truoc-van-hoi-moi-3157059.html