Vietnam's export sector is facing severe challenges due to a surge in logistics costs reaching unprecedented levels. Drastic increases in sea freight rates in recent months have eroded corporate profit margins, even as trade volume and revenue continue to show positive growth trends.
At the 90th HUBA Business Coffee forum in Ho Chi Minh City, business owners highlighted their growing operational burdens. For instance, Phuc Sinh JSC reported a monthly logistics cost surge from around 7-8 billion VND to 22 billion VND. A similar phenomenon was experienced by Vina T&T Group, where container shipping costs spiked sharply from 2,800 USD to 7,800 USD in a short period. For the fresh fruit industry, this condition is even more critical given the perishable nature of the products and the requirement for timely distribution.
Responding to these concerns, the Ho Chi Minh City Administration affirmed its commitment to lowering national logistics costs through a series of accelerated infrastructure developments. The primary focus is directed toward developing a multimodal transport system, including the optimization of expressways, railway lines connecting industrial hubs to ports, and increasing waterway capacity. The target is to reduce the city's logistics cost ratio to 11-14 percent in the near future.
In addition to long-term infrastructure efforts, industry players are also encouraged to take short-term tactical steps. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association (HUBA), suggested the need for strategic alliances between exporters and logistics service providers. Through transparent sharing of production data and shipping schedules, it is hoped that container space usage can be optimized, helping to keep shipping costs down amid high market volatility.
