On October 16, Haiphong People’s Committee issued Decision No.4068/QD-UBND to establish the city’s FTZ, covering about 6,292 hectares within the Southern Coastal Economic Zone (EZ) and the Dinh Vu–Cat Hai EZ. The move is expected to attract new-generation foreign investment, boost trade facilitation, and enhance Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park's (IP) role as a strategic industrial and logistics hub in Vietnam’s north.

It will be the first comprehensive FTZ in the north, expected to boost regional GDP growth and restructure the industrial-logistics value chain in Haiphong and the northern region.

The FTZ is distributed across three locations: the Southern Coastal EZ of Haiphong (about 2,923 ha); the Dinh Vu - Cat Hai EZ, including Nam Dinh Vu IP (Zone 2) and the non-tariff zone - Nam Dinh Vu IP (Zone 1) (about 1,077 ha); and the Dinh Vu - Cat Hai EZ on Cat Hai Island, the Cat Hai Special Zone (about 2,292 ha).

Nam Dinh Vu IP – a part of Haiphong’s Free Trade Zone model

Haiphong’s FTZ is envisioned as a new growth engine, contributing to the implementation of Resolution No.45-NQ/TW of the Politburo. It aims to become a regional and international competitive hub for manufacturing, logistics, commerce-services, high technology, and finance; promoting high-tech industries, innovation, digital transformation, and green growth.

The FTZ is organised into functional zones including manufacturing, port and port logistics, logistics centres, commercial-service zones, and other functional areas as regulated.

“Nam Dinh Vu IP lies within Zone 2 of the Dinh Vu–Cat Hai EZ, at the core of Haiphong’s new FTZ,” said Nguyen Thanh Phuong, CEO of Sao Do Group. “Its strategic location and access to tax incentives create both an opportunity and a responsibility for Nam Dinh Vu to strengthen its role as a key driver in Haiphong’s development strategy.”

One of Nam Dinh Vu IP’s strongest advantages is its integrated transportation system encompassing all five modes: road, rail, sea, air, and inland waterways, creating a flexible cargo transport network that saves time and costs.

The park's internal seaport features seven container berths capable of receiving vessels up to 50,000 DWT, helping reduce logistics costs and improve import-export efficiency for businesses.

With a total area of 1,329 ha, Nam Dinh Vu IP is planned into four zones: industrial land, seaport logistics, integrated industry, and oil and liquid cargo.

Its completed infrastructure is ready for handover, including high-capacity power supply, water supply and drainage, wastewater treatment, internal roads, and a wastewater treatment plant meeting international environmental standards.

When investing in Nam Dinh Vu IP, businesses receive comprehensive support from the developer and city authorities through a streamlined one-stop mechanism, covering procedures from investment registration, business establishment, construction permits to land use rights certification.

The process is efficiently implemented, saving maximum time and administrative costs. As a result, Nam Dinh Vu has become a top destination for major corporations in supporting industries, electronics, chemicals, warehousing, and international logistics services.

As of the end of the third quarter this year, Nam Dinh Vu IP has attracted $3 billion in foreign investment, including a raft of projects from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and the EU. Investors highly appreciate the clear legal environment and reasonable operating costs and its strategic location in the global supply chain – especially amid geopolitical tensions that have made supply chain diversification increasingly urgent.

The establishment of the new-generation FTZ is a strategic move to create new growth space, develop a complete production-logistics ecosystem, and entice high value-added investments.

“Nam Dinh Vu IP is being developed as a model of sustainable and modern growth – integrating IPs, free trade zones, seaports, and logistics services within a unified infrastructure and open investment environment,” said Phuong. “It is set to become a key destination for high-quality investment capital.”

Rooftop solar panels are being implemented at Nam Dinh Vu IP

At Nam Dinh Vu IP, developer Sao Do Group has expedited diverse clean production and energy solutions.

From the planning stage, the zones were arranged in a closed supply chain, allowing businesses within the park to utilise each other’s output, thereby reducing production and transportation costs while minimising waste generation.

The circular economy model being applied at Nam Dinh Vu IP has proven successful, attracting many high-tech global investors.

One example is the SiO (basic chemical) production undertaking in Vietnam by Innox Ecom Vina Co., Ltd., part of INNOX Holdings Group from South Korea, located in Nam Dinh Vu IP (Zone 1). The venture, with a total investment of $20 million, has just completed phase 1, including 15 advanced technological devices.

All the products are exported to European and American markets, and the first shipment was successfully dispatched. This marks a milestone for the company to expand production and delivery volume in the near future.

Kim Ki Young, director of Overseas Project Development at INNOX Holdings, said, “Nam Dinh Vu IP has a favourable geographical location, excellent environmental conditions, and strong support from the developer, so our company can confidently organise production, import goods, and export products worldwide.”

Sharing the same view, Ryu Sung Joom, deputy general director of Innox Ecom Vina Co., Ltd., said, “Nam Dinh Vu IP’s inclusion in the FTZ will enhance its competitiveness, making it an attractive destination for investors. The implementation of the project on the second plot of land will be accelerated by Innox Ecom Vina, and other member companies of the INNOX Group may also consider investing abroad, including in Haiphong.”

Currently, Nam Dinh Vu IP is continuing to develop rooftop solar power projects at businesses, conducting research on using cold vapour from liquefied natural gas storage for cooling within the park, and building a mangrove forest system around the park to increase green space.

To realise the goal of becoming a national and Red River Delta regional centre for industry and high technology by 2030, Haiphong is steering its entire system of IPs and EZs toward eco-smart models.

The city continues to encourage investors to develop eco-smart industrial parks based on green, circular, energy-efficient, and fully digitalised models, in line with the Politburo’s Resolution 57. Priority is given to projects that commit to technology transfer, renewable energy use, and adherence to international environmental standards.