Speaking at a conference on July 30, Secretary of Haiphong Party Committee Le Ngoc Chau described the decisions as the starting point of an entirely new development phase for the city.
“The newly approved institutional framework will provide Haiphong with a modern and streamlined governance model, competitive policy mechanisms, and stronger capacity to attract large-scale, technology-intensive, and high-value-added projects,” Chau said.
“With the ambition of becoming one of Vietnam’s leading economic centres and an increasingly important international trade gateway, Haiphong will continue prioritising sectors where it already enjoys strong competitive advantages, including logistics, port services, science and technology, digital transformation, innovation, and multimodal transport connectivity,” he added.
The freed trade zone (FTZ) is expected to become a key platform for attracting high-quality foreign direct investment (FDI), promoting technology transfer and strengthening linkages between domestic enterprises and multinational corporations, in line with the orientation set out in the Politburo’s Resolution No.10-NQ/TW on foreign-invested economic development.
The strategy builds upon a solid economic foundation. Haiphong currently hosts 1,868 foreign-led projects from 42 countries and territories with cumulative registered capital exceeding $54 billion, accounting for nearly 10 per cent of Vietnam’s total accumulated FDI. It is also the only locality in the country to have maintained double-digit economic growth for 11 consecutive years.
During the first half of 2026, the city’s GDP expanded by 11.33 per cent, ranking third nationwide and leading all centrally governed cities.
Cargo throughput reached nearly 96 million tonnes, while newly registered FDI exceeded $3.1 billion, reflecting sustained momentum in industrial production, logistics and export-oriented manufacturing.
The latest planning decisions significantly broaden Haiphong’s development vision. While the city’s traditional strengths have long been anchored in its deep-water port system, industrial base and strategic location in northern Vietnam, the newly approved framework is designed to create a more diversified and innovation-driven growth model.
Under Decision No.288/QD-TTg, Haiphong Specialised Economic Zone will cover approximately 5,300 hectares in the western part of the city and focus on high-technology industries such as AI, robotics, big data, advanced chemicals and research and development.
Rather than merely expanding industrial land, the zone is intended to reshape the city’s investment structure towards knowledge-based industries, innovation and advanced technologies.
Meanwhile, Southern Haiphong Coastal Economic Zone, spanning around 20,000ha, is planned as a new marine economic growth pole built on seaport services, logistics, high-tech industries, modern urban development and green growth.
At the centre of this development strategy is the 6,292-ha Haiphong FTZ, which is expected to evolve into a regional hub for high-tech manufacturing, international logistics, trade and modern services, with priority given to semiconductors, IT, automation, supporting industries and digital infrastructure.
At the conference on July 30, Haiphong approved 13 newly licensed and expanded projects with a combined registered capital of approximately $2.6 billion.
The city also signed two MoUs on industrial park infrastructure development, with an estimated total investment of $540 million. Altogether, the projects receiving approval and the MoUs signed at the event represent investment commitments of around $3.2 billion.
Among the most notable projects is LG Innotek Vietnam’s second venture, worth $1 billion, at Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park (Zone 2), located within the Haiphong FTZ.
After a decade of successful operations at Trang Due Industrial Park, the company’s decision to expand semiconductor chip production highlights continued confidence in Haiphong’s investment climate while illustrating the city’s success in attracting higher-value manufacturing projects.
Beyond the newly announced projects, Haiphong has maintained robust investment momentum throughout 2026.
As of July 22, the city had enticed approximately $3.26 billion in FDI, up 71.8 per cent on-year, with nearly 90 per cent of total investment concentrated in industrial parks and economic zones.
The figures underscore the continued role of these zones as the city’s principal engines for attracting foreign investment while laying the foundation for the next generation of technology-intensive capital inflows.
Addressing the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau said the event represented more than the implementation of administrative decisions. It marked the beginning of a new development phase and mirrored the commitment of both the Vietnamese government and Haiphong authorities to fostering a favourable investment environment for domestic and international businesses.
“Geopolitical competition, supply chain restructuring, digital transformation and the transition towards greener growth are reshaping global investment flows. Against this backdrop, Haiphong city possesses favourable conditions to pioneer a new development model. Following the recent administrative merger, the city now benefits from a larger economic scale, broader development space and distinctive advantages in ports, logistics and institutional mechanisms,” said DPM Chau.
Looking ahead, Haiphong’s future growth will be driven by three complementary strategic development spaces: Dinh Vu–Cat Hai Economic Zone, Southern Coastal Economic Zone and Haiphong Specialised Economic Zone.
The nearly 6,300-ha FTZ, strategically integrated with both major economic zones, is expected to serve as an institutional platform linking these development areas into a unified economic ecosystem connecting manufacturing, international trade, investment attraction and technology transfer.
Haiphong’s competitive position is further reinforced by continued improvements in logistics infrastructure.
According to the 2025 Container Port Performance Index released by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, Haiphong Port climbed 17 places to rank 13th globally, providing a stronger foundation for the FTZ to develop into an international logistics gateway.
DPM Chau noted that Haiphong possesses a unique combination of strategic advantages, including its geographic location, a world-class seaport and logistics network, a strong industrial base, ample development space, and a range of preferential policy mechanisms.
However, he stressed that what investors seek is not merely incentives, but greater confidence in policy stability, transparency and effective implementation.
In this regard, the city’s most important competitive advantage should be a facilitating government that treats businesses’ time and costs as valuable social resources and regards investors’ success as the success of both the city and the country.
Echoing this message, Chairman of Haiphong People’s Committee Do Thanh Trung reaffirmed the city’s commitment to accompanying investors throughout the investment process, ensuring the most favourable conditions for projects to be implemented efficiently, promptly and sustainably.
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