Participants at the Đà Nẵng International Logistics Forum on Thursday. —Photo tapchicongthuong.vn

ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng hosted an international logistics forum on Thursday, bringing together nearly 600 officials, diplomats, industry representatives and businesses to discuss infrastructure, digitalisation and regional supply-chain connectivity.

Trần Thanh Hải, deputy director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Import-Export Department, said Việt Nam's logistics sector has made positive progress, citing continued investment in seaports, logistics centres and inland ports, as well as improvements in the capacity of logistics companies and trade facilitation.

The Government has adopted a strategy for developing the country's logistics services for 2025-35, with a vision to 2050, aimed at building a modern, efficient industry based on digital and green foundations, reducing logistics costs and strengthening links between logistics, production, trade, e-commerce and global supply chains, Hải said.

Hai said Đà Nẵng has favourable conditions to become a regional transshipment and logistics hub, particularly as the city develops Liên Chiểu Port and plans for a free trade zone, an international financial centre, a regional distribution centre and a multimodal transport hub.

Phan Thái Bình, vice chairman of the municipal People's Committee, said the city's strategic location allows it to connect  domestic economic centres with international maritime trade routes while serving as the eastern gateway of the East-West Economic Corridor linking Việt Nam with Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.

The development of Liên Chiểu Port will strengthen the city's capacity for receiving, transshipping and distributing goods and for providing higher-value logistics services, Bình said.

Đà Nẵng is also accelerating digital transformation and treating data and smart technologies as a new layer of infrastructure for its logistics ecosystem, he said, adding that it is prioritising air logistics, cold-chain services, cross-border e-commerce logistics, agricultural logistics and other high-value services.

The city will continue to improve the business environment, develop strategic infrastructure and public services, and support investors seeking long-term and sustainable operations in Đà Nẵng, he noted.

During the forum, co-organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in coordination with the municipal People's Committee, participants discussed measures to improve policies and the investment environment, develop logistics infrastructure including seaports, airports and logistics centres, and strengthen multimodal transport links and international economic corridors. They also addressed green logistics, lower-emission transport and greater international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. — VNS