H0 CHI MINH CITY: The Southeastern Key Economic Region, originally comprising Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Bình Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, is now said to be the most dynamic growth engine of Vietnam.
Despite its advantages with seaports, industrial zones and transport corridors, the region has long grappled with fragmented logistics infrastructure and weak inter-provincial coordination.
The recent administrative merger offers a unique opportunity to establish a unified, synchronised logistics system, turning this coastal region into a high-performing hub for trade, investment and marine economy.
Following the merger with Bình Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City now boasts a 110km-long coastline, providing direct access to international maritime routes and elevating its potential as a maritime logistics centre of regional significance.
Its natural land area has expanded to nearly 9,820 square km, transforming the city from an inland economic nucleus into a coastal metropolis.
This geographic repositioning enables a seamless economic corridor connecting Can Gio, Cai Mep-Thi Vai and Vung Tau, integrating production, logistics, services, tourism and energy sectors.
Can Gio is expected to serve as a key transhipment point between the city centre and international ports, forming the starting node of a future maritime logistics ecosystem.
Associate Professor Dr Nguyen Ngoc Vinh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Regional Research and Development Consulting under the University of Economics in the city, emphasised the strategic alignment of major ports.
“The Cat Lai and Cai Mep-Thi Vai clusters now belong to the same logistics corridor.
“Cai Mep, with capacity for vessels over 150,000 deadweight tonnage, connects directly to trans-Pacific shipping lanes, while Cat Lai and the inland container depots act as collection and redistribution hubs within the region,” he said.
Crucial infrastructure projects are currently being deployed passing through several key economic zones. — Viet Nam News/ANN
