The Vietnam Railway Authority has reviewed the proposal to establish the Cai Mep Ha FTZ, which is located in Tan Phuoc and Tan Hai wards in Ho Chi Minh City, integrated with seaport and railway infrastructure.
In its assessment, the authority noted that the city’s FTZ proposal already incorporates the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau railway line in the planning scheme.
The Cai Mep Ha railway station is anticipated to help complete a multimodal transport system linking the FTZ with Long Thanh Airport and the trans-Asia economic corridor, reducing logistics costs and boosting competitiveness for businesses involved in import and export.
However, the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau railway is part of the broader Ho Chi Minh City regional rail network plan, which has been technically appraised but has not yet been formally approved by competent authorities.
As a result, the Railway Authority has asked the Ho Chi Minh City Management Board for Export Processing and Industrial Zones to continue working with relevant bodies to update the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau rail route in accordance with current regulations.
Separately, the Ho Chi Minh City people’s committee has also approved the investment policy for the Cai Mep Hạ general and container port project, with a total investment of VND 50.82 trillion (nearly USD 2 billion), naming three companies as investors.
In the south-east region, Ho Chi Minh City is looking at a free trade zone connected to the Cai Mep Ha seaport, while neighbouring Dong Nai Province is studying an FTZ linked with Long Thanh Airport.
Do Thien Anh Tuan, an expert from the Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management, said a dedicated rail connection between the Long Thanh FTZ and the Cai Mep FTZ is the only way to handle large volumes of freight at low cost, a model successfully used by logistics powerhouses such as Singapore and South Korea.