Quang Tri expected for booming economic development

Quang Tri province serves as a crucial gateway along the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) connecting ASEAN countries in the expanded Greater Mekong Subregion through two international border crossings, namely Lao Bao and La Lay. While its advantage in facilitating economic exchanges and international cooperation in trade activities is evident, this potential has yet to be fully realized. How can this potential be tapped into? The answer may lie in the economic triangle that Quang Tri has outlined and is striving to materialize.

High potential for logistics development

The East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) has been identified as one of the key economic corridors in Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated November 3, 2022, by the Politburo on socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security for the North Central and Coastal Central regions until 2030, with a vision towards 2045. Quang Tri is considered the gateway from Vietnam on this economic corridor and serves as a vital transportation hub between the North and South. Specifically, it lies on the trans-Asian route connecting Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos through the Lao Bảo International Border Gate to the provinces of Central Vietnam, facilitating smooth transit.

Furthermore, the province holds significant potential as it strategically positions along the east-west economic corridor through National Highway 9, part of the Quang Tri Economic Corridor (Vietnam), Salavan (Laos), and Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand) known as PARA EWEC, spanning over 420 km. This corridor provides the shortest connection from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean via Myanmar, Northeast Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

Moreover, Quang Tri boasts crucial transportation routes such as National Highway 1, the North-South railway, the Ho Chi Minh Highway branches East and West, the North-South expressway, and National Highway 9 connected to the trans-Asian route. These routes facilitate favorable economic exchanges with provinces in the North Central, and Central Coastal regions, and nationwide. With a coastline of 75 km, the province operates the Cua Viet seaport covering nearly 120 hectares with a capacity of handling 400,000 tons of goods annually.

Vice Chairman of Quang Tri Province People’s Committee Le Duc Tien ( third from left) along with senior officials from the province to inspect the national highway No.15D. Photo: L.T

However, historically, most of the goods passing through the Lao Bảo and La Lay international border gates of Quang Tri are transported to ports and seaports in other localities. Therefore, the province has incorporated the planning of logistics centers, warehouse systems, and port facilities into its socio-economic development plan for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. This is a crucial prerequisite for Quang Tri to expand cooperation in international cargo transportation, and develop trade, services, and tourism along the two strategic economic corridors, EWEC and PARA EWEC.

According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Le Duc Tien, among the key projects unanimously agreed upon by the Provincial Party Committee’s Standing Committee, one “economic triangle” connecting the two international border gates of Lao Bao, La Lay, and the My Thuy Port Area holds promising prospects for the province’s economy. To realize this, Quang Tri will need to exert more effort in attracting investment in infrastructure linked to goods production, import-export, and domestic trade through dynamic projects that contribute to boosting and creating breakthroughs in key economic sectors.

One project considered the “backbone” of this economic triangle outlined by the province is the My Thuy Port Area project in Hai Lang district. Upon completion, the project will feature specialized port areas primarily serving industrial establishments in the Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone and industrial zones within the province, along with handling transit goods from Laos, Northeast Thailand through the Lao Bảo and La Lay international border gates via the EWEC and PARA EWEC routes into Vietnam. Currently, the investor, My Thuy International Port Joint Stock Company (MTIP), is actively coordinating with local authorities to complete procedures and clear land for construction preparation.

Additionally, at the beginning of 2023, the VSICO Quang Tri Dry Port project in the expanded border gate cluster under the Lao Bao Special Economic - Commercial Zone was approved for investment, with VSICO Maritime Joint Stock Company appointed as the investor. According to the roadmap, the project is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2026, providing cargo loading and unloading services, storage facilities, and direct support services related to transportation and customs clearance at the Lao Bảo International Border Gate area.

In parallel with efforts to enhance infrastructure towards the goal of connecting the three vertices of the logistics triangle, Quang Tri is actively constructing a highway from the Lao Bao International Border Gate to inland areas to shorten the distance, improving infrastructure at the La Lay International Border Gate, and proposing to the Prime Minister to approve a plan for transporting coal from Laos to Vietnam via the La Lay International Border Gate using a conveyor system to increase transport efficiency.

Additionally, efforts are underway to develop and upgrade National Highway 15D connecting to the Mỹ Thủy Port Area. With the Cam Lo - Lao Bao Expressway project spanning nearly 60 km, a feasibility study report has been completed by Son Hai Group Limited Liability Company. The Provincial Party Committee’s Standing Committee has agreed with the project’s report and approved the establishment of a steering committee and support team to accompany the investor in implementing the next steps.

The design of the My Thuy port project. Photo: L.T

Regarding the critical transportation route National Highway 15D, on October 13, 2023, the Provincial People’s Committee sent a document to the Government Office requesting Prime Minister approval for the province to act as the state agency with jurisdiction to call for investment through a public-private partnership (PPP) for the uninvested section of the route. This is because this important transportation route connects the Mỹ Thủy deep-water port in the My Thuy Port Area project to the La Lay International Border Gate, with an actual length of about 92 km.

However, only about 50 km has an existing road with two lanes, which is currently deteriorating, while over 42 km from National Highway 1 to the Ho Chi Minh Highway branch West has not been constructed. When completed, National Highway 15D will create the shortest trade route between Quang Tri and countries along the PARA EWEC, reducing transportation distance to about 60 km compared to the current 250 km detour from the La Lay International Border Gate to the My Thuy Sea.

Once these projects are completed and put into operation, goods from neighboring countries passing through the ports of Quang Tri will follow these key transportation routes to the My Thuy deep-water port, creating an economic triangle through these ports.

"A positive signal is that the Provincial Socio-Economic Development Plan for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, was approved by the Prime Minister on December 29, 2023. This is an important prerequisite for the locality to exert further efforts in realizing the connectivity of the logistics triangle towards the goal of becoming a hub for goods transshipment in the region.

The province has concentrated its resources, prioritized investment in construction, and incrementally improved infrastructure, vigorously attracting investment, and strengthening cooperation with neighboring provinces in Central Vietnam, Laos, and Northeast Thailand to enhance business exchanges, cooperation, and transportation development. Accelerating the implementation of the Cross-Border Economic and Commercial Zone Development Project of Lao Bao - Densavanh...

In addition, Quang Tri greatly needs support from central ministries and sectors, especially in building supportive mechanisms, and policies, and enhancing local officials' capacity in logistics management... With such efforts, the economic triangle connecting the two border gates and the My Thuy Port Area on the transnational economic corridors will contribute to Quang Tri’s strong economic restructuring, striving to become 2030 a province with a strong industrial and service sector focused on maritime and border gate economies, making significant contributions to regional and international integration," affirmed Tien.

Le Truong - Ngoc Mai