The coastal area of Nam Dinh Province includes three districts: Nghia Hung, Giao Thuy, and Hai Hau, with a total area of about 724km2, equal to 43% of the province’s total area, and a population of more than 606,000 people, accounting for about 34% of the total population of the province.

The terrain here is relatively flat, mainly low-lying plains and coastal plains, with a coastal mangrove alluvial area spanning more than 22,000 ha. It has a 72km coastline and a waterway featuring Hong River, Day River, and Ninh Co River, providing the province with many favourable conditions.

The Nam Dinh Provincial Party Committee issued a resolution on developing the coastal economic zone in the 2021-2025 period and the following years such that Nam Dinh’s coastal economic zone will grow to be commensurate with its potential and strengths, with synchronous connections with other localities, thus making the province become a powerful sea-based economy.

The province will focus on promoting coastal industry, marine tourism, maritime economy, agriculture, aquaculture, and seafood exploitation. Economic development in coastal areas should be associated with environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and natural disaster prevention and control.

Tran Anh Dung, Permanent Vice Chairman of Nam Dinh Provincial People’s Committee, said the province has been concentrating on attracting investors and large projects in coastal areas and has achieved remarkable initial results. Many large domestic and foreign investors have researched, proposed and implemented key projects that have long-term impacts on the socio-economic development of the province.

One such example is Rang Dong Textile and Garment Industrial Park in Rang Dong Town, Nghia Hung District, which has a total area of nearly 2,200 ha in the Ninh Co Economic Zone. In phase 1, this industrial park covers an area of nearly 520 ha. To date, it has attracted many large FDI projects, with total investment capital of nearly 400 million USD, and is expected to create jobs for nearly 10,000 workers.

The Top Textiles dyeing factory project with investment by Japan Toray group, at a total investment of 203 million USD and covering an area of 31.2 ha, has come into operation.

In addition, several projects have been licensed and will soon be put into operation, including Yi Da Denim Mill (VN) Co., Ltd., with a total investment of 60 million USD by Crystal Group from Hong Kong (China); Jehong Textile Enunic waterless dyeing factory (Taiwan, China), with a total investment of over 6 million USD; Sanbang Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), with a total investment of nearly 30 million USD; and the Xielong garment factory project (China), with a total investment of 40 million USD.

Notably, Nam Dinh Province has attracted Xuan Thien Group to invest in three factories with total registered capital of 98.9 trillion VND in the Con Xanh area of Nghia Hung District: Xuan Thien Nam Dinh No.1 Steel Factory Project with total registered capital of 88 trillion VND; Xuan Thien Nghia Hung Steel Factory Project with total registered capital of 10 trillion; and Xuan Thien Nam Dinh Precast Concrete Factory Project with total registered capital of 900 billion VND.

Permanent Vice Chairman of Nam Dinh Provincial People’s Committee Tran Anh Dung said upon their operation, the projects are expected to create jobs for about 16,200 workers with priority to be given to local workers.

Pham Dinh Nghi, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Nam Dinh Province, affirmed that the projects invested in by Xuan Thien Group in the Con Xanh area are in line with the policies and goals of developing the coastal economic zone of Nam Dinh Province. These projects contribute to the province’s economic and labour restructuring, creating conditions to improve people’s lives while generating large revenue for the local budget and boosting the advantages and potentials for developing the marine economy.

These projects are expected to promote industrial development, trade, and services of Nghia Hung District, forming the premise and driving force for the establishment of the Ninh Co Economic Zone (approved by the Government in Decision No. 1453, dated September 24, 2020, on adjusting the planning for the development of coastal economic zones of Vietnam). They are also anticipated to realise the aspiration of turning the coastal area into a rapid and sustainable economic growth pillar, thus contributing to achieving the goal of making Nam Dinh a fairly developed province by 2030.

According to the assessment of Nam Dinh Province, the coastal economic zone annually contributes more than 25% to the total production value in the locality, but the province acknowledges that these results are not commensurate with the potential and strengths of the region. Therefore, the province will continue to complete and effectively implement its master planning to promote the potential and advantages of the coastal economic zone.