Logistics development is essential to deeper integration and serves as strategic driver enabling Dak Lak to enhance competitiveness, reduce production costs, expand markets as well as build sustainable value chains for its key industries.

Dak Lak’s greatest advantage lies in its central position within the region, facilitating connectivity with the South Central Coast, the Southeast region and the East - West economic corridor. The province also possesses abundant agricultural output, including major export commodities such as coffee, pepper, durian alongside fruit products. Both the Central Government along with the province are prioritising investment in strategic transport infrastructure, including Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot Expressway, Buon Ma Thuot - Gia Nghia Expressway and national highways 26, 27 alongside 29, thereby strengthening connectivity between the Central Highlands, central seaports and major economic centres.

Cargo handling and transportation activities at Vung Ro Port.

Under the Dak Lak Provincial Planning for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision towards 2050, logistics has been identified as a strategic service sector supporting production, trade, import-export activities and value chain linkages. It also serves as a foundation for the provincial goal of becoming the Central Highlands’ regional hub for high-tech agriculture, deep processing industries, trade combined with logistics.

However, the provincial logistics sector remains in the early stages of development. Most logistics enterprises are still operating on a small scale with limited connectivity and insufficient specialised logistics services. Many agricultural processing coupled with export enterprises still have to transport goods to coastal provinces for warehousing, containerisation and export procedures. In addition, there remains a shortage of high-quality logistics personnel, while digital transformation, green logistics and modern supply chain management applications have yet to meet development requirements.

Paving the way for a modern logistics ecosystem

Against this backdrop, the establishment of Dak Lak Logistics and Seaport Association is expected to mark an important milestone for the local logistics sector. Beyond connecting logistics business community, the association will also act as a bridge linking enterprises with authorities, logistics centres as well as domestic and international seaports.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Han, the association will focus on promoting linkages among logistics, transport, warehousing and import-export enterprises to build an integrated service value chain, reduce logistics costs while enhancing the competitiveness of local products. Simultaneously, it will advise the province on solutions to address existing bottlenecks.

Vung Ro Port along with planned deep-water seaports holding strong potential for developing a modern and synchronised logistics system capable of regional connectivity as well as international integration.

PPC Chairman, comrade Do Huu Huy emphasised that the logistics business community must shift from providing “single services” to developing “integrated service chains”, while reinforcing connections between logistics and agriculture alongside processing industry, accelerating digital transformation as well as fostering leading enterprises with strong connectivity capacity.

Dak Lak Logistics and Seaport Association should prioritise building a united together with professional organisation while strengthening links among transport, warehousing, import-export and production enterprises in order to develop integrated supply chains, reduce costs combined with increase the value of key agricultural products. It should also proactively propose infrastructure development solutions, promote the establishment of logistics centres and inland container depots, alongside enhance inter-regional transport connectivity. The association should focus on developing high-quality human resources, accelerating digital transformation and technology application, along with reinforcing its role as a bridge between enterprises and authorities.

In the coming period, the province has tasked the association with establishing one to two large-scale logistics centres at an early stage, developing cold storage systems serving agricultural exports, alongside directly participating in export chains for key products, thereby gradually reducing logistics costs per unit of goods and enhancing the local economic competitiveness.

Translated by KHUONG THAO