Portcoast: Da Nang’s Historic Opportunity to Become a Leading International Logistics and Trade Hub

By www.vietnam.vn - 28/11/2025

Da Nang is standing before a historic opportunity to transform into a leading regional hub for international logistics and trade. Its competitive advantage lies not in individual infrastructure assets alone, but in the synchronized synergy among all core elements.

Synergistic Advantages of Core Elements

Ms. Le Thi Kim Phuong, Director of Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade, said that the most important factor for logistics development is the “cargo base”. Unlike Ho Chi Minh City or Hai Phong City, Da Nang does not have an abundant local cargo source. Therefore, in policy design, the city aims to become an international transshipment hub.

Speaking to reporters from the Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of Portcoast Consultant Corporation and an independent logistics expert, stated that this development orientation aligns well with the city’s inherent potential and advantages.

According to Mr. Tuan, Da Nang is standing before a historic opportunity to transform into a leading regional hub for international logistics and trade. The city’s strength does not lie in individual infrastructure assets but in the synchronized synergy of all core elements.

The city holds a unique “dual gateway” position as the final access point to the East Sea along the East–West Economic Corridor (EWEC) and as the gateway of Central Vietnam. This is a substantial geo-economic advantage.

Da Nang also benefits from breakthrough infrastructure with the Lien Chieu Port, featuring a specialized container terminal. The Government has invested in public maritime infrastructure, and the port’s natural conditions—deep-water bay, minimal sedimentation, and the ability to accommodate large vessels—position Da Nang as a critical “link” in global supply chains, comparable to Hai Phong (Lach Huyen) and Ba Ria–Vung Tau (Cai Mep).

Additionally, Da Nang has exceptional mechanisms through its Free Trade Zone (FTZ), creating strong institutional momentum and offering a duty-free, streamlined administrative environment. The combination of a deep-water port (cargo flow) and the FTZ (capital flow and policy incentives) forms a complete logistics ecosystem that optimizes costs and time for investors.

Furthermore, Da Nang plays the role of the “coordination nucleus” for the Central Key Economic Region. The city provides gateway infrastructure and high-level logistics services (finance, legal, bonded warehouses), supporting industrial production zones in surrounding provinces.

These factors allow Da Nang to fully develop into an international cargo transshipment center.

What must Da Nang do?

Despite having advantages, to transform potential into reality, according to expert Pham Anh Tuan, Da Nang needs clear development directions in attracting maritime and air cargo flows.

For maritime logistics, Da Nang Port currently serves two functions: the gateway for Central Vietnam and the gateway for the East–West Economic Corridor (EWEC), while also serving as an international cargo transshipment point.

For transshipment cargo, two categories will emerge: cargo along the EWEC route and other international transshipment cargo flows.

Regarding EWEC cargo, Lien Chieu Port should aim to attract containerized and clean cargo such as industrial goods and machinery, while ore and coal will be handled at other ports. Therefore, stronger regional port linkages and clear cargo attraction orientations are necessary.

For international cargo transshipment, attracting global shipping lines is essential because they define and control most routes and cargo flows. “Therefore, the development of Lien Chieu Port must particularly focus on selecting a strategic investor with the involvement of a major shipping line,” Mr. Tuan emphasized.

Another important factor is the strong linkage between the deep-water port and the Free Trade Zone. This will be the concentration point for cargo flows and the essential connector that transforms Da Nang into the logistics center of the entire Central region.

Beyond maritime logistics, Da Nang must strategically maximize its air logistics potential, given its advantage of having two airports. The logistics expert proposes: “Consider Da Nang Airport as the passenger and high-value cargo transport hub, while Chu Lai becomes the main cargo airport. This way, the two airports complement each other.”

According to Mr. Tuan, Lien Chieu Port is receiving significant investment and will become Da Nang’s main cargo port. However, to become an international transshipment hub, Lien Chieu must be capable of receiving the world’s largest mother vessels. Currently, its planning limits vessels to 100,000 DWT or larger under certain conditions. “From a port planning perspective, I believe Lien Chieu has favorable conditions to receive the world’s largest ships. Da Nang should work with relevant authorities to orient Lien Chieu’s development toward accommodating the largest vessel sizes. Only then can it become a comprehensive gateway for international transshipment,” he recommended.

Aside from the main Lien Chieu Port, for supporting ports, Mr. Tuan suggested that Da Nang consider dredging the Ky Ha channel to accommodate vessels up to 70,000 DWT. “Ky Ha Port is limited by its access channel. Da Nang is planning to dredge it for 50,000 DWT ships, but for intra-Asia shipping, 50,000 DWT is still insufficient. It can be increased to 60,000–70,000 DWT. We can study dredging the channel to accommodate vessels up to 70,000 DWT,” he proposed.

The logistics expert also agreed with Da Nang’s proposed special policies for expanding the Free Trade Zone, saying these mechanisms would accelerate the formation and attraction of investment into the FTZ, creating exceptional institutional advantages for development.