Members of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA) recorded a business growth rate of about 15 per cent this year, contributing to the country’s all-high trade value of US$732 billion.

As of December 30, VLA admitted additional 128 members, bringing its total membership to 659.

This year, VLA sent over 20 documents to State management agencies detailing proposals, such as waiver and reduction of seaport fees in HCM City and the northern port city of Hai Phong. As a result, the two localities adopted the policies.

Via forums of the National Steering Committee on ASEAN Single Window, National Single Window and Trade Facilitation (Committee 1899), the Government also recognised the need to turn logistics into a national competition.

The VLA also initiated a scheme to develop a fleet of international container ships to ease dependency on foreign ship operators, given that about 90 per cent of Viet Nam’s export-import goods are via waterway and over 90 per cent of them are carried by foreign vessels.

Recently on December 29, the Saigon Newport Corporation and Vietnam Maritime Corporation welcomed Container Tan Cang Foundation container ship to the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho from Hai Phong City, showing their efforts to launch regular ship services between the two cities, contributing to reducing logistics costs and opening up a new development way for export-import in the Mekong Delta.

Also, for the first time this year, VLA has embarked on a project to improve logistics capacity at the provincial and municipal levels. It also actively held and attended many forums on logistics and relevant fields, particularly the Vietnam Logistics Forum 2022 held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, thus raising public awareness of the crucial role of logistics services in socio-economic life.

It also won the right to host the World Congress of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Association (FIATA) in 2025 in Ha Noi. — VNS