Dutch firms seek logistic cooperation opportunities with Vietnam

The “Vietnam – Netherlands Logistics Webinar: Identifying Opportunities & Connecting Partners” was jointly held by the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands.

At the event, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA) Dao Trong Khoa suggested the two countries cooperate in the supply of logistic services in the EU-Vietnam Free Agreement (EVFTA) area.

The Netherlands would serve as a gateway for Vietnam to access the European market. Meanwhile, Vietnam is regarded as an entrepot for Dutch exports to penetrate the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said.

Khoa encouraged Dutch logistics enterprises to invest in infrastructure development, especially in logistics centres, in Vietnam. He also suggested Vietnam learn from the Netherlands’ experience in logistics development in agriculture and green logistics at seaports.

Le Quang Trung, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC), also proposed Vietnam and the Netherlands coordinate and build IT platforms to provide chain solution packages for clients.

Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the Agency of Foreign Trade, said Vietnam’s export-import turnover exceeded US$500 billion in 2019. In the first nine months of this year, despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the figure still reached US$483 billion, up 24.4% from 2020.

He highlighted the high growth rate of the domestic logistics sector over the past years, at 14-16%, with about 30,000 businesses operating in this field.

The official expressed his hope for solutions to improve Vietnam’s human resources quality in logistics, and optimise the domestic transport system, especially in seaports.