Haiphong - Investment advantages and potentials

Hai Phong is situated on the northeastern coast of Vietnam, only 102km away from Hanoi. Hai Phong is the third largest city in Vietnam and possesses the largest seaport in the north. It covers an area of 1,519 square kilometers, including two island districts (Cat Hai and Bach Long Vi). Hai Phong is located in the Red River Delta with an average elevation of +0.7m to +1.7m above the sea level. Hai Phong has a large coastal and sea area, favorable for marine economic development. It is located in the tropical climate zone with annual average temperature of 23 - 240C, annual rainfall of 1,600 - 1,800 mm and average humidity of 85 - 86%.

Hai Phong is the important commercial and transportation hub for northern Vietnam, connecting the northern provinces with the world market through its seaport system. All provinces with the world market through its seaport system. All provinces are connected to Hai Phong by road, railway, inland waterways, sea and air links.

Seaport system

The port of Hai Phong has the highest cargo through-put among the ports in the north of Vietnam. The Port is equipped with modern facilities and safe operating practices to accommodate all international modes of transport and trade. Estimated cargo through-put in the period 2001-2003 is 8.5 to 12 million tons per year. The improvement project at Chua Ve Container Terminal makes the port the biggest and the most modern container terminal in the north of Vietnam with through-put capacity of 500,000TEUs per year.

From Hai Phong port, it is possible to freight cargo to other world-wide seaports by sea or transport domestically to major economic zones of Vietnam as southern provinces of China by inland waterway, railway or road quickly and efficiently.

 

Berth system: The port has 17 sheltered berths totaling 2,700 meters in length. Water depth is 8.5 meters water along side for container and general cargo (break bulk) terminals. In addition, the port system includes nine anchorage points in the Hon Gai - Ha Long roadstead for vessel up to 50,000 DWT, three mooring dolphins in the Bach Dang roadstead with a water depth of 7.5 meters, and three anchorage points in the Lan Ha roadstead for vessels of up to 40,000 DWT.

Storage yards

There are 600,000 m2 of storage yards - 200,000 m2 of container yard, and 400,000 m2 of open storage space for steel, equipment, bulk cargoes, etc.

Warehouse system

There are 51,000 m2 of warehouse space available. The warehouse are divided into many sections suitable with cargo handling and transport. There are 7,500 m2 of Container Freight Station (CFS) for less than container load (LCL) handling.

Advanced Technology handling equipment

All types of handling equipment are available. The equipment includes two quay side crane systems, rubber-tired gantry crane systems, forklifts with 2.5 - 42 ton capacity, portal cranes with 5 - 42 ton capacity, a mobile harbor crane with a 50 ton capacity, an automatic bagging machine for bulk cargoes capable of 4,000 tons/day/ship, a floating crane with a capacity of 85 tons, and a computerized weighing station with an 80 ton capacity.

Beside the existing port system, Hai Phong has plans to:

    * Establish a new access channel with a depth of 10.2 meters; and construct two new container berths;

     * Develop Ben Got - Lach Huyen lighterage area for 30,000 DWT vessels;

     * Develop seven quays (1,500 meters in total length) including storage areas, internal road, electricity station, and water supply system at Dinh Vu Economic Zone for 20,000 DWT ships.

Road Network

The road network of Hai Phong is very convenient for cargo transportation and communication to Hanoi and other northern provinces through National Highway Road No.5 and No.10.

    * National Highway No.5 is 105 kilometers long and 23.5 meters wide with four lanes for non-motorized traffic. The road is considered as one of the most modern roads in Vietnam. The highway is connected to the National Highway No.1 where traffic can go to the northern border provinces (Lang Son, Cao Bang, Lao Cai) or via Hanoi to Hochiminh city and other provinces in southern Vietnam.

    * National Highway No.10 links Hai Phong with the rich coal mine area and the famous tourist destination of Ha Long bay in Quang Ninh Province and also the fertile coastal provinces from Thai Binh to Thanh Hoa. The highway also links the Port of Hai Phong and the northern coastal provinces with the north-south National Highway No.1.

Inland Waterway Network

Hai Phong becomes the major center for the inland waterway network thanks to the five navigable rivers running through its terrain, linking most provinces in the northern region and their river ports. This network handles approximately 40% of transported weight of cargo in the north of Vietnam.

Railway

The Hai Phong - Ha Noi - Lao Cai railway lines connecting with Kunming (Yun Nan province) in southeast China have created a very favorable condition for cargo transportation to southern China. The Hai Phong - Ha Noi line is directly connected to many cities and provinces, especially Ho Chi Minh city.

Airport

The principle airport of Hai Phong, namely Cat Bi is only 5 kilometers from the city center. The airport can accommodate Airbus 320 planes or the equivalent. The airport is currently used for domestic flights to Ho Chi Minh city, Da Nang and Ha Noi. International connections are available in these three cities.

The runway of Cat Bi airport will be lengthened to accommodate larger planes.

Post and telecommunication

With modern telecommunication facilities and network, Hai Phong offers a full range of domestic and international telecommunication services such as telephone, telephone card service, facsimile, telex, paging service, mobile phone, prepaid mobile phone, email and internet services. Express dispatch services, global postal services such as EMS, DHL, FedEx are also available.

Power supply

Haiphong is currently supplied with electricity form the national power network, mainly from the Hoa Binh hydropower plant, Pha Lai thermal-power plant and Uong Bi thermal-power plant.

A 300 - 600 MW thermal-power plant is in the pipe-line to ensure the power supply for the industrialization and modernization of the city.

Water Supply

There are six water supply plants in Hai Phong, i.e. An Duong, Cau Nguyet, Vat Cach, Do Son, Uong Bi and Dinh Vu, with a total supply capacity of 152,000 cubic meters per day.

Thanks to plentiful surface water sources from the rivers of Da Do, An Kim Hai, Gia as well as under ground water sources, new water supply plants are also being planned to serve the city economic development, especially industrial parks and new urban areas.

Industrial Parks

Hai Phong has a number of industrial, export processing and economic zones . Nomura-Hai Phong Industrial Zone is situated by the National Highway No.5 linking Hai Phong - Ha Noi and Dinh Vu Economic Zone is close to the newly developed deep water seaport.

Nomura-Hai Phong Industrial zone is considered as the best in Viet Nam in terms of infrastructure. With an area of 153 hectares, an independent power station of 50 MW, a wastewater treatment plant, a telephone switchboard of 2,000 lines and other public facilities, the zone is now ready to accommodate over 100 new tenants. It is located adjacent to National Highway No.5 that connects Hai Phong with Ha Noi, 2km from nearest railway station and 15km from the Hai Phong port.

Dinh Vu Economic Zone, strategically located downstream from Hai Phong, is currently being developed and will grow into one of the major industrial zones with direct deep water access. Dinh Vu is divided into three parts, an export processing zone, an industrial park, an d a residential area. The zone has an area of approximately 1,152 hectares. When completed, it will include an industrial park, a deep-sea port for freighters of up to 20,000 DWT with an annual handling capacity of 12 million tons together with modern commercial and residential areas. The zone is directly connected to National Highway 5 and will be connected to Hai Phong, Ha Noi and China by railway.

The city has plans to develop further 13 industrial parks. There are some other industrial areas and potential industrial locations in the city in addition to the industrial parks.

Services

Hai Phong offers a full range of business, financial, trade and hospitality services to investors and business people as well as for local and foreign travelers to the region.

Accommodation

There are many international standard hotels, office space for lease, special and quality restaurants, tourist resorts and high-class residential complex for international business people and travelers or tourists.

Recreation and Entertainment

There are many facilities for recreation and entertainment in Hai Phong. Leisure activities and facilities include: tennis courts, swimming pools, a mini-golf course, fishing clubs, massage and fitness clubs, bars, karaoke, discotheques, spectator sports, and movies theaters. Do Son Casino serving foreigners in Do Son tourist area is the only casino licensed to operat in Viet Nam. Recreation and entertainment parks in Do Son resort and Cat Ba Island will be further developed making the island more attractive to visitors.

Banking and Finance

All major Vietnamese national banks and some joint-venture banks have their branches in Hai Phong that offer a full range of baking services such as Vietcombank, Incombank, BIDV, ACB, Maritime Bank, VID Public Bank, Indovina Bank etc. Some well-known insurance corporations like AIA, Prudential, Bao Viet, Bao Minh, Pijico, PTI, and some auditing, consultant and securities companies such as Vacco, PriceWaterhouse Coopers etc. also have their presence in Hai Phong.

Electronic connections to the National Stock Exchange in Ho Chi Minh city will soon be established.

Shipping services

Hai Phong is the headquarters of many shipping companies of Viet Nam including Vosco, Vinaship, Germatrans, Vinalines, Vitranchart, and Vietfract. Dozens of domestic and major international shipping lines and shipping agents have also set up their branches and representative offices in Hai Phong including Vosa, APM-Saigon, Sealand, Mitsui, Evergreen, Maersk, P & O Nedloyd, NYK, APL, Hapaglooy, Yangming, DSR, Huyndai, KMTC, CMA, MISC, Hanjin, K-line, Cosco and Heung-A.

Health Care

Hai Phong has 21 hospitals with 3,500 beds and 1,050 doctors and 2,694 medical workers. The International Department of the City Central Hospital offers special medical services to foreigners.

Highly Educated Work Force

Hai Phong has a young and highly literate population of nearly 1.7 million people with over 850,000 highly educated workers including more than 25,000 university and college graduates and 120,000 skilled technical workers. The people in Hai Phong are motivated, creative and industrious and industrially disciplined. In addition to the potential local workforce, it is easy to mobilize workers from neighboring provinces.

Hai Phong is one of the education centers that produces relatively skillful workforce. Currently there are five universities and colleges, two institutes of oceanography and marine research, 6 vocational training schools and 462 primary and secondary schools. In the near future, some other colleges will be put in operation. The numerous universities and research centers located in Hai Phong provide training to a public eager to expand its learning and offer a tremendous resource for the business community.

Hai Phong's vision to 2020: 'Hai Phong is a seaport city of modern and sustainable development, and economic focal point of the country'.