Vietnam joins the TPP, Vietnam logistics industry has many opportunities to develop and engage more deeply into the heart of the world's shipping trade ...

Vietnam joined the Agreement Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Vietnam's logistics industry has many opportunities to develop and engage more deeply into the heart of the world's shipping transactions.

This is the market potential is evaluated, is a "delicious piece of cake" and require coordination, jointly between the ministries and enterprises to develop.

With the growth rate is forecast between now and 2020 is 12% / year and import turnover reached 623 billion dollars in 2020 (source: World Bank), Vietnam is a destination for investors.

Before the actual requirements and challenges of integration, requiring Vietnam enterprises, especially the logistics companies to improve service quality, increase competitiveness.

According to the Business Association Vietnam logistics (VLA), Vietnam's logistics costs accounted for about 25% of GDP per year, much higher than countries such as the US, China or Thailand.

In the future, when TPP was officially signed with the 0% tariff lines, promising the exciting development of export-import operations in Vietnam. This is considered a great opportunity for the logistics industry "boom".

Are losing at home

However, in recent years, the logistics service enterprises Vietnam has not really find a common voice for the import and export business. Most of logistics enterprises in Vietnam are small businesses, small capital and lack of facilities such as warehouses, wharves, information technology, transportation ...

As an important link of the economy, cargo logistics activities to help reach consumers and ensure timely material for the production process.

However, competitiveness and business efficiency of logistics enterprises in Vietnam, under the impact of both factors inside and outside, are not high.

It can be seen, the majority of domestic enterprises operating logsitics small scale due to the financial capacity, the management level is limited, mostly stop at the 2PL logistics service providers that specifically service Cargo.

Meanwhile, FDI enterprises in Vietnam, often finding the integrated package of logistics services (3PL common) which are not merely transporting goods, but also comes with many value-added services other (customs procedures, warehousing, packaging and distribution of products).

The objective external factors also hinder the development of the logistics industry in Vietnam. First, transport infrastructure, especially roads, has not developed commensurate with the pace of industrialization leads to overload and jam stasis.

Secondly, customs procedures, many overlapping and rigid slow speed freight movement.

Tuesday, the inland shipping has not been promoted full potential in order to reduce road transport

Fourth, the development without planning and lack of alignment of the port and port logistics services such as warehousing, storage yards, logistics center,

And fifth is the lack of links between logistics companies together. These are the reasons hindering the sustainable development of the domestic logistics enterprises and logistics costs pushed higher in Vietnam.

Comparison of logistics costs (logistics) / GDP of many countries, many experts evaluation, the US accounted for about 9%, Europe for 13%, Mexico 14% and the average level of the world is 15%. However, Vietnam's 25%, this is a very high figure makes Vietnam business difficulties in the integration and improve competitiveness.

Le Phuoc Vu, chairman of Hoa Sen Group, there are many factors that hinder the development of logistics, reducing the competitiveness of enterprises in Vietnam. That is unreasonable in the operation of the port system in Vietnam, leading to increased transport costs nearly three times; the inadequacy of the infrastructure, the international shipping and international shipping surcharge during peak season usually higher carriers.

These inadequacies, partly explains why foreign logistics enterprises prevailed on the domestic market. VLA's statistics show that Vietnam currently has over 1,300 active logistics enterprises, including foreign-invested enterprises.

In particular, the company coordinating the foreign logistics enterprises are only about 25 active but accounted for 80% market share. Left nearly 1,300 domestic logistics enterprises in Vietnam is only about 20% market share.

Domestic companies largely operate only in a small segment of the industry, such as freight forwarding services, warehousing, customs procedures, Depots ...

Do Xuan Quang, Chairman of the Association VLA, said annual logistics costs (including the cost of transport, storage, warehousing, customs procedures and other paperwork ...) in Vietnam Men around 37-40 billion USD.

"However, the 30-35 billion dollars of which belong to foreign businesses, seen as the most delicious part of the" pie "of logistics in Vietnam are in the hands of foreign companies," Quang said.

This led to, most Vietnam enterprises to act as agents only level 2, level 3, level 4 even for global companies. To date, Vietnam now only meet 25% of domestic demand and focus only on a few service industries in the value chain logistics services.

The cause was Tran Chi Dung, Director of the Research Centre for Logistics Vietnam (VLI), Vietnam explained by shortages of human resources logistics and largely untrained so poor professional level.

Besides, a big obstacle Vietnam's logistics industry today is technology. Information Technology of Vietnam is still poor and embarrassing, including providers and service users. Therefore, higher costs and inefficient. Also, due to the legal basis is unclear to develop logistics services.

How to win a larger market share?

Also he said, the logistics division of the market is inevitable, because it is the global connection. Transport costs account for a large proportion of operating costs of the business, particularly the cost of international transportation is.

Therefore, in the context of integration, then the question is, what market share for Vietnamese enterprises to occupy the market share should belong to foreign companies?

"The picture the current market has a true, balanced with the capacity and invested that money now Vietnam. To regain market share pie, Vietnam logistics companies need to increase investment, and policies need timely support from the government, "Dung stressed.

Despite facing strong competition from foreign rivals, but many experts still consider the future prospects of the domestic logistics enterprises, especially in the context of free trade agreements (FTAs, TPP) boosted FDI inflows pouring into Vietnam industry.

On the other hand, infrastructure increasingly better will improve connectivity between logistics facility with production areas; planning and support elements from the State sector with customs procedures are gradually improving in a positive direction.

In recent two years, a series of key infrastructure projects have been started and completed as highway Long Thanh - Dau Giay, Noi Bai - Lao Cai, Ha Noi - Hai Phong, Ben Luc - Long Thanh Highway 51 industrial Park connected with the port and dredging works Soai Rap channel (in Hiep Phuoc port) and threaded Thi Vai - Cai Mep ...

The infrastructure is important to develop the logistics industry. In addition, the Government and the Ministry of Transport has launched a number of policies to guide, support and stimulate the sustainable development of the domestic logistics industry such as load control policy road, preferential policies Vietnam first ships on domestic routes, the draft established port authorities to develop ports and port logistics, Decision No. 1037 / QD-TTg on the port development plan to 2020 ...

Vietnam Hoang Cuong, Deputy General Director, General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam is also actively develop and implement the ASEAN Single Window mechanism.

Doing this gives the business community, including businesses logictics many practical benefits such as reducing the time taken to administrative procedures and reduce costs.

In the coming time, Vietnam will actively cooperate with Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand completed the technical connection in early 2015 to implement the official deployment of OSS ASEAN.

In particular, recently, the Government has decided to set up a drafting committee raise the competitiveness of Vietnam and logistics industry is expected to January 6/2016 will give this action program, which will be a great opportunity for Vietnam to develop the logistics industry.

However, these things do is not enough, to develop logistics services and sustainable development, experts share the view that the state should build and perfect the legal framework, standardized rules the services, upgrade infrastructure and quality human resources for the field of logistics.

Government should also take measures to guide and promote logistics companies linked together, formed the company with strong capabilities, able to compete with foreign companies.

With the element of subjectivity and objectivity above, many experts said that Vietnam's logistics industry is still great potential for development and first of all, will have the conditions to advance to level par with businesses Logistics in the region.