Chu Lai port, a gateway for import and export of goods in central Việt Nam. — Photo courtesy of THACO

HCM CITY — Trade through the Nam Giang - Dak Taook International Border Gate with Laos, which was upgraded last August, doubled last year to over US$62 million.

To serve the rising demand for movement of goods on this important route, Trường Hải International Logistics Limited Liability Company (THILOGI) belonging to THACO Group continues to exploit its advantages, develop services and optimise full-package logistics solutions.

The route through the border gate is currently the shortest to eastern Thailand and southern Laos, and the Chu Lai International Port (in Quảng Nam Province) and other ports and economic zones in the central Việt Nam expect to meet the increasing demand for the import and export of goods and promote trade and investment cooperation and the development.

However, logistics services on this arterial route are still fragmented and it requires the participation of large players with a wide range of quality services and the capacity to exploit convective goods sources.

As one of the leading logistics companies in Việt Nam’s central region, THILOGI has been making good use of its advantages to promote cross-border road transport services between northeastern Thai and southern Laotian provinces such as Pakse, Attapeu and Sekong and Chu Lai port through the Nam Giang -Dak Taook International Border Gate.

In recent years the company has stepped up investment in infrastructure, equipment, vehicles, and a refrigerated container system, started new transport routes and provided full-package logistics services such as seaport services, domestic and international freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution, and customs procedures with optimal solutions and at reasonable costs, helping businesses trade conveniently and increase their competitiveness.

Loading fruits into a specialised THILOGI truck for transporting agricultural products. — Photo courtesy of THACO

THILOGI has the capacity to provide logistics services for the export of 1,000 containers of fruits a month. It handled a total of 26,000 containers of fruits and other agricultural items last year.

On February 25 the company transported a consignment of 500 tonnes of fruits for Hoàng Anh Gia Lai Agricultural JSC (HNG) from Laos to Chu Lai port for export by sea to China.

This year it plans to transport nearly 27,600 containers of fruits from farms in Laos and Cambodia to Chu Lai and more than 11,600 containers of other agricultural items in the opposite direction.

Nguyễn Văn Hội, HNG’s sales director, said: “THILOGI is currently our strategic logistics partner. Overall, THILOGI's service quality, transportation routes and vehicles are quite good compared to the market in general, and prices are reasonable."

Exploiting agricultural export potential in EWEC 2

A THILOGI vehicle transports goods through the Nam Giang international border gate. — Photo courtesy of THACO

The goods imported and exported through the Nam Giang International Border Gate are mainly tapioca starch, reimported machinery and equipment, construction materials, and others, with farm trade still being modest despite Laos and Thailand having a lot of fruit growing areas and investing a lot in agriculture.

THILOGI will focus on exploiting the demand for transport of several agricultural products for export in the Boloven plateau; coffee, pepper, medicinal herbs in Sekong, Champasack and Salavan provinces; banana, pineapple and dragon fruit in Attapeu (Laos); and fruits such as durian, mangosteen and longan in Ubon Raychathani, Sisaket, Yasothon, Charoen, and Buriam provinces (Thailand).

In Myanmar, THILOGI is investing in developing a cross-border transport route connecting the East-West Economic Corridor 2 (EWEC 2) from the port city of Mawlamyine to Chu Lai port for export to western Asia countries.

Bùi Minh Trực, deputy general director of the company, said, “THILOGI has worked with the Nam Giang International Border Gate management and the Quảng Nam Economic Zones and Industrial Parks management for establishing a depot at the border gate to provide warehouse and yard services for inspection and supervision of goods, repair facilities, fuel stations, and ancillary services.”

The company is investing in digital transformation, using the smartlog transport management system (STM), exploiting seaports and E-port, improving quality management systems, developing professional human resources, and speeding up construction of a 50,000-tonne deepwater dock at Chu Lai port. Once completed, it will open up many opportunities to exploit trade from southern Laos and northeastern Thailand through the Nam Giang International Border Gate. VNS