The Ministry of Construction has just issued Circular No. 56/2025/TT-BXD regulating the seaport waters within the territory of Nghe An Province and the scope of specialised state management of the Nghe An Maritime Authority. The circular aims to specify the boundaries and scope of maritime areas, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of maritime activities in the locality.
According to the circular, the seaport waters of Nghe An Province are determined based on the highest tidal level and include two key maritime areas: the Dong Hoi area and the Cua Lo–Ben Thuy area.
In the Dong Hoi area, the seaward boundary is limited by straight lines connecting points DH1 to DH5; the landward boundary is determined from point DH1, running southwards along the coastline of Quynh Lap Commune, passing through the mouth of Hoang Mai River, and extending to the coastline of Quynh Phuong Commune.
For the Cua Lo–Ben Thuy area, the seaward boundary is defined by points NA1 to NA5. The landward scope includes the Cam River area, calculated from downstream of the Nghi Quang dam through Cua Lo Port, and the Lam River area, where the boundary is defined along the channel centreline upstream, 200 m from Berth No. 06 of Ben Thuy Port.
The circular stipulates that all boundary point coordinates are applied according to the national coordinate system VN-2000, with a corresponding conversion table to the WGS-84 coordinate system. These boundaries are specifically shown on the 2025 updated nautical charts published by the Vietnam Maritime Safety Corporation.
Regarding implementation, the Nghe An Maritime Authority is the body responsible for specialised state management of maritime activities at seaports within Nghe An Province and the two maritime areas mentioned above. In addition, this authority is also assigned to manage the Xuan Hai maritime area belonging to the seaport waters of Ha Tinh Province in accordance with Circular No. 54/2025/TT-BXD of the Ministry of Construction.
Circular No. 56/2025/TT-BXD takes effect from February 15, 2026. From that date, Circular No. 26/2016/TT-BGTVT and the provisions related to the Nghe An seaport waters in Circular No. 32/2019/TT-BGTVT of the Minister of Transport will officially cease to be effective.
The issuance of this circular concretises the provisions of the 2015 Vietnam Maritime Code and government decrees on maritime activity management, creating an important legal basis for seaport management and operation, and for marine economic development associated with ensuring maritime safety and security in the new period.
