Hai Phong to become Vietnam’s major marine shipping centre

Vietnam’s northern port city of Hai Phong will be transformed into a major marine shipping and services centre, according to an updated socio-economic plan approved by the Prime Minister.

Hai Phong Port
Hai Phong Port

It will also become the logistics centre of the Northern Key Economic Zone, which includes Hanoi, Hai Phong and five other provinces.

Under the plan, the city will contribute one fifth of the zone’s economic output and nearly 5% of Vietnam’s gross domestic product by 2020, with the GDP per capita reaching VND86 million (approximately US$3,700).

The services and industrial sectors will respectively account for 60.8% and 36% of Hai Phong’s total economic output by 2025, while the contribution of the agricultural sector will be 3.2%. The respective figures for 2030 are 63.3%, 34.6% and 2.1%.

Tourism will also be a primary economic sector in Hai Phong, with Cat Ba and Do Son expected to become national and international tourism regions.

Hai Phong’s infrastructure will be upgraded to match the criteria of a special city, like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, by 2025.

By 2020, the city will have 2.1 million people with an urbanisation rate of between 50% and 55%.