Strengthening logistics cooperation, bringing Vietnamese goods deeper into the EU market

09/09/2024 15:51

Recently, the Port of Gothenburg (Sweden) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Hai Phong Department of Industry and Trade and Saigon Newport Corporation (SNP) on logistics cooperation.

The event was held on September 6, within the framework of the Vietnam-Sweden Forum  held on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Sweden diplomatic relations.

The event was organized by the Embassy of Vietnam in Sweden in collaboration with the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden, concurrently in charge of the Nordic market and FPT Corporation.

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic countries with more than 11,000 ships visiting each year from more than 140 destinations worldwide, making it the only port in Sweden capable of receiving the largest modern and seaworthy container ships. Gothenburg handles nearly 30% of Sweden's foreign trade, including 39 million tons of goods per year.

This is a memorable event because it will strengthen cooperation to develop logistics services between businesses and localities of the two sides, contributing to increasing  the import and export turnover  of Vietnam with Sweden in particular and with the European region in general. The reporter of the Industry and Trade Newspaper had an exchange with Mr. Richard Mellgren – Senior Director of Business Development, Sales and Marketing – Port of Gothenburg around this important event.

Mr. Richard Mellgren – Senior Director of Business Development, Sales and Marketing – Port of Gothenburg. Source: Internet

Sir, as one of the largest seaports in Northern Europe, what is your assessment of the potential for cooperation between the Port of Gothenburg and Vietnam in this field?

I believe this is a natural step forward as we celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Sweden this year.

As a member of the EU, Sweden along with other EU countries benefits from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). The Port of Gothenburg plays an important role in ensuring that transportation and logistics can be carried out smoothly and efficiently. Vietnam is growing at a rapid pace and we see many multinational companies, including Swedish companies, investing in Vietnam. Our most important thing, as the port of Gothenburg, can ensure that industries have access to the world market and vice versa. This means that efforts should be made to maintain existing trade routes while also developing new routes to further promote trade between Vietnam and Sweden.

It is known that at the recent Vietnam-Sweden Business Forum, the Port of Gothenburg signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Department of Industry and Trade of Hai Phong and Saigon Newport. What do you expect from the cooperation between Gothenburg Port with Hai Phong and Saigon Newport in the coming time?

The Memorandum of Understanding with the Hai Phong Department of Industry and Trade and Saigon Newport will bring a clearer message to the market that through the cooperation of both parties, our common desire is to make the transportation of goods as efficient as possible. At the same time, it ensures that we do it in a more modern and sustainable way.

Both parties have a long history with years of experience and knowledge , and together we will leverage our practices to ensure that what we do can bring value to the segments of the supply chain that we are involved in. Hope we can create inspiration for new cooperation opportunities.

With this memorandum, in your opinion, how will Vietnam's exports to Northern Europe in particular and Europe in general benefit?

Going back to 55 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Sweden, with the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement, we have come a long way to prove our intention to build a good foundation for cooperation.

With partners in Vietnam and Sweden, especially the Hai Phong Department of Industry and Trade, Saigon Newport along with the Port of Gothenburg, through cooperation, we hope to create value and trust that we are here to support the industry in the supply chain. Building relationships, developing more knowledge , and sharing good practices create a basis for cooperation and reduce barriers in new areas. I call on Vietnamese companies to take advantage of the EVFTA Agreement, through trade representative organizations as well as our ports for specific instructions. We are here to support businesses.

Gothenburg Port and Hai Phong Department of Industry and Trade signed a memorandum of understanding (Photo: Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden)

In order to realize the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding, what solutions will the Port of Gothenburg implement in the coming time?

We will strengthen the enforcement of the professionalism inherent in our organization, enhance our understanding of the potential and introduce our capabilities to the market. We live in a very dynamic world, so it is important to be flexible and adaptable, for example towards sustainable development and environmental protection.

The Port of Gothenburg has a long history of development, we celebrated our 400th anniversary in 2020. We offer a wide range of sea freight solutions along with an extensive rail network, our Nordic Rail Port model helps to connect the port with the remote regions of Sweden and Norway. The foundation of our understanding and solutions in the Swedish market is very good, however, it is important that we learn and grasp more about Vietnam's perspective to develop existing solutions as well as new solutions to accompany and implement this MOU most effectively.

As the largest seaport in the Nordic region, what advice do you have for Vietnamese businesses to increase exports to the Nordic market area?

In fact, we are importing a lot of goods from Asia, including Vietnam. Our experience is that businesses need to understand their customers in the Nordic market, their needs as well as their products in order to benefit from the EVFTA Agreement.

There are a number of new regulations that will come into effect, including Corporate Sustainability Reports (CSRDs), in which businesses are required to document their emissions coverage. Businesses need to ensure that they can provide information adequately; building relationships, trust, reliability and always paying attention to sustainable development.

The Port of Gothenburg accounts for 57% of the container market share in and out of Sweden, is investing heavily in infrastructure to be able to efficiently receive ships, port equipment, trains, trucks and also provide sustainable solutions, such as renewable and biofuels,  onshore power supply, electric charging station and hydrogen station for heavy trucks. The network of railway ports (Railport Scandinaiva), transports more than 60% of all containers moving to and from the port. Cooperation with the Port of Gothenburg will help Vietnamese businesses have the advantage of efficiently transporting goods throughout Sweden.

Source: congthuong.vn