Over 98% of container cargo from Hai Phong Port relies on roads, hindering sustainable growth in the Red River Delta's logistics network.
More than 98 percent of containerized cargo passing through Hai Phong Port still moves by road, a dependence that industry leaders now describe as an urgent obstacle to sustainable growth across the Red River Delta. Shifting a meaningful share of that traffic onto rivers and coastal routes has become a central priority for a region racing to keep pace with surging trade volumes.
The message came into sharp focus at the 7th Regional Logistics Forum (2026), themed 'Creating New Development Spaces for Logistics in the Red River Delta,' where speakers warned that port expansion alone cannot resolve the mounting pressure on the region's transport network.
The Red River Delta has developed into one of Viet Nam's most dynamic economic zones. Hanoi anchors the region as its central hub and research and development core; Bac Ninh has become a high-tech manufacturing center; Quang Ninh serves as the eastern maritime economic gateway; and Hai Phong continues to strengthen its position as a major maritime gateway and regional logistics center.
Hai Phong's seaport system is expanding rapidly to match. The Lach Huyen deep-water terminal complex can accommodate large-tonnage container ships and links the port to numerous international markets, with further terminal development expected to lift throughput capacity in the coming years.
That expansion, however, presents a difficult question: how to move ever-larger cargo volumes from the maritime gateway deep into the hinterland efficiently, quickly, and affordably.
Tran Tien Dung, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Logistics Business Association and Chairman of the Hai Phong Logistics Association, told the forum that container throughput at Hai Phong is projected to reach between 13 million and more than 15.6 million TEUs by 2030 - a sharp rise from the 8.1 million TEUs recorded in 2025.
With roughly 98 percent of containerized cargo currently carried by road, that trajectory raises real concerns. The heavy reliance on trucking strains transport infrastructure, increases the risk of congestion and accidents, adds to environmental pollution, and keeps logistics costs stubbornly high for Vietnamese enterprises.
Against this backdrop, inland waterway transport stands out as a significant opportunity. The Northern and North Central regions hold more than 4,000 kilometers of inland waterways and roughly 300 kilometers of coastal routes suitable for commercial use.
Waterborne transport carries clear advantages: high cargo capacity, lower costs per unit, and reduced carbon emissions. Yet that potential remains largely untapped.
The Hai Phong-Bac Ninh corridor currently handles only about 20 trips per week, mostly using small river vessels with capacities below 120 TEU, constrained by bridge clearances and channel dimensions. Routes from Hai Phong to Ninh Binh or Nghi Son also operate only a few times weekly, served by a limited fleet of coastal vessels.
These figures point to a broader truth. The challenge is not merely a shortage of rivers, ports, or vessels. It is tied directly to connectivity infrastructure, navigation channels, bridge clearances, and the technical regulations governing how vessels operate.
For the business community, this is precisely why attention has turned to upcoming amendments to Viet Nam's maritime and inland waterway laws.
Dung argued that a refined legal framework could allow inland waterway and maritime transport to play a far deeper role in moving goods. A key step, he said, is to review and adjust the rules governing the operating conditions of vehicles that connect transshipment hubs, deep-water ports, and inland ports - changes that would permit the use of higher-capacity vessels. Greater capacity, he noted, lowers the cost per unit of cargo while cutting emissions.
He also pointed to channel maintenance, dredging, and upkeep as a persistent concern for logistics firms. Dung proposed giving local authorities a more proactive role and simplifying dredging procedures to fit the specific conditions of each locality, keeping vessel movements smooth, fast, and cost-effective.
Resolving physical bottlenecks matters just as much. Maintaining navigation channels and buoy systems, along with raising vertical clearance at certain bridges, could extend daily operating hours for vessels and increase carrying capacity.
On riverside land, Dung called for a thorough assessment of actual flood discharge capacity. Such analysis, he said, would provide a scientific basis for using riverside areas to develop logistics infrastructure - shipyards, container yards, warehouses, and port operations centers among them.
Developing waterway transport, Dung stressed, cannot be separated from building a genuine multimodal system. Seaports are only one link in the chain; overall efficiency depends on connectivity between deep-water ports, inland ports, logistics centers, warehouses, and production zones.
Raising port throughput without simultaneously expanding inland transport modes, he warned, would only pile more pressure on the road network. Inland waterways, railways, and coastal shipping must therefore be developed vigorously to open additional cargo routes.
This is also a question of regional integration. Hai Phong holds a clear deep-water advantage, but turning that into a driving force for the wider region requires linking the port with the warehouse systems, logistics centers, and production capacity of neighboring localities.
Rather than developing in isolation, localities can draw on complementary strengths to build a more integrated logistics chain connecting seaports, production areas, and markets. In that vision, waterborne transport is not simply an alternative to trucking - it is a link capable of restructuring how goods flow across the entire region.
As institutional and infrastructural barriers ease, goods from deep-water ports will gain more options for inland distribution. That shift eases pressure on roads, strengthens connectivity between production hubs and seaports, and better meets growing demands for green transport and lower emissions. For the forwarders, shippers, and importers who depend on predictable transit and controlled costs, additional modes also mean greater resilience against disruption and more room to optimize routing.
With its seaports, waterway networks, and the strategic location of its production and logistics hubs, the Red River Delta is well-positioned to advance through a multimodal approach. The remaining task lies in clearing the institutional and infrastructural bottlenecks so that the flow of goods - riverine and maritime alike - can finally operate at a level that matches the region's true potential.
