Dong Nai City set to emerge as southern logistics hub

With its position as an interregional transport hub and access to all five modes of transport, road, inland waterways, air, rail and maritime, Dong Nai has the foundations to develop into a modern logistics centre and a key goods distribution gateway.

The National Assembly has approved a resolution establishing Dong Nai City as a centrally governed city from April 30, marking a new phase of development with stronger policy support and growth potential.

Economic experts say Dong Nai’s location, bordering Ho Chi Minh City and the Cai Mep, Thi Vai port cluster, provides strong links to the southeast, the south central coast, the Central Highlands and the southwest, as well as cross border trade routes with Cambodia.

Dong Nai City has a strategic transport infrastructure network, with a series of projects nearing completion, including Long Thanh Airport, Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3, the Ben Luc - Long Thanh, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, Phan Thiet - Dau Giay and Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressways, and Phuoc An Port.

In the near future, Dong Nai will also gain the Dau Giay - Tan Phu, Tan Phu - Bao Loc and Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh expressways, the Suoi Tien - Long Thanh and Thu Thiem - Long Thanh metro lines, Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 4, and the North-South high-speed railway running through the area. Once these projects are completed and operational, Dong Nai will have an integrated transport network linking air, seaports, roads, rail and waterways, creating a standout logistics advantage.

Future projects, including additional expressways, metro lines and the North-South high-speed railway, are expected to create an integrated transport system linking air, sea, road, rail and inland waterways.

Under its development strategy, Long Thanh Airport is set to become the core of an air logistics and high value supply chain ecosystem. Plans for a Long Thanh free trade zone are also under way, aiming to integrate logistics, high tech industry and trade.

This shift signals Dong Nai’s transition from a manufacturing base to a coordinated logistics and economic hub, where infrastructure and industry operate in tandem.

Dong Nai already ranks among Vietnam’s leading localities for logistics services, supported by its extensive industrial parks and major infrastructure projects. Long Thanh Airport in particular is expected to attract significant domestic and international investment.

Nguyen Kim Long, vice chairman of the Dong Nai City People’s Committee, said the city would prioritise completing strategic infrastructure, especially projects linked to Long Thanh Airport and interregional transport corridors.

Under the master plan, Dong Nai City will develop four major logistics centres covering more than 950 hectares, including two near Long Thanh Airport, one in Phuoc An Commune and another in Trang Bom.

The province also operates key inland container depots, including ICD Tan Cang, Long Binh, ICD Tan Cang, Nhon Trach and ICD Dong Nai Port, while the Phuoc An Port logistics service area began operations in November 2024.

Officials say Dong Nai aims to become a regional logistics centre with global ambitions by 2050, leveraging its integrated transport network and industrial base.

However, experts caution that infrastructure remains fragmented and requires greater synchronisation. Tran Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Agency of Foreign Trade, said the development of transport, warehousing and digital systems must proceed in tandem to ensure efficiency.

“A logistics chain only operates effectively when trade infrastructure, transport and information technology are fully connected,” he said.

Industry representatives say Dong Nai should focus on building a network of transshipment, gateway and specialised logistics services to optimise supply chains, reduce costs and improve regional connectivity.

With these advantages and ongoing investments, Dong Nai is expected to strengthen its role as a key logistics and trade hub in southern Vietnam.