Recently, Gothenburg Port (Sweden) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 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 Vietnamese Embassy in Sweden in coordination with the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden, concurrently in charge of the Northern European market, and FPT Group.

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic countries with more than 11,000 ship visits each year from more than 140 destinations worldwide, and is the only port in Sweden capable of receiving the largest, most modern ocean-going container ships. Gothenburg handles nearly 30% of Sweden's foreign trade, including 39 million tons of cargo each year.

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

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

Sir, as one of the largest seaports in Northern Europe, what do you think about the potential for cooperation between Gothenburg Port and Vietnam in this field?

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

As a member of the EU, Sweden, together with other EU countries, benefits from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). The Port of Gothenburg plays an important role in ensuring that transport and logistics can be carried out smoothly and efficiently. Vietnam is developing at a rapid pace and we see many multinational companies, including Swedish companies, investing in Vietnam. It is important for us, as the Port of Gothenburg, to be able to ensure that industries can access the world market and vice versa. This means working to maintain existing trade routes while also developing new ones to further boost trade between Vietnam and Sweden.

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

The MoU with Hai Phong Department of Industry and Trade and Saigon Newport will send a clearer message to the market that through our collaboration, our shared desire is to make the movement of goods as efficient as possible. At the same time, ensuring that we do so in a more modern and sustainable way.

Both parties have a long history with many years of experience and knowledge, together we will exploit our expertise to ensure that what we do can bring value to the segments of the supply chain in which we participate. Hopefully we can inspire new opportunities for collaboration.

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

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

With our partners in Vietnam and Sweden, especially the Hai Phong Department of Industry and Trade, Saigon Newport Corporation and 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, through our trade representative organizations as well as our ports for specific guidance. 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)

To realize the contents of the memorandum, what solutions will Gothenburg Port implement in the coming time?

We will strengthen the implementation of the professionalism inherent in our organization, enhance the understanding of 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 together with an extensive rail network, our Nordic Rail Port model connects the port to the remote areas of Sweden and Norway. Our understanding and solutions in the Swedish market are very good, however, it is important for us to learn and grasp more about the Vietnamese perspective to develop existing and new solutions to accompany and implement this MOU most effectively.

As the largest seaport in Northern Europe, what advice do you have for Vietnamese businesses to increase exports to the Northern European market?

In fact, we import a lot of goods from Asia, including Vietnam. Our experience is that companies need to understand their customers in the Nordic market, their needs and their products, in order to benefit from the EVFTA.

There are many new regulations coming into force, including Corporate Sustainability Reporting (CSRD), which requires companies to document their emissions. Companies need to ensure that they can provide complete information; build relationships, trust, reliability and always keep sustainability in mind.

The Port of Gothenburg, which accounts for 57% of the container market in/out of Sweden, is investing heavily in infrastructure to be able to handle ships, port equipment, trains and trucks efficiently, and also to provide sustainable solutions, such as renewable and biofuels, onshore power, electric charging stations and hydrogen stations for heavy trucks. Railport Scandinaiva handles more than 60% of all containers moving to and from the port. Cooperation with the Port of Gothenburg will give Vietnamese businesses the advantage of efficient freight transport throughout Sweden.

Thank you!

In 2023 and 2024, the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden led a delegation of Nordic businesses to Vietnam to attend Vietnam International Sourcing organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. In Vietnam International Sourcing in 2023, Gothenburg Port was one of the ports that participated in the business delegation. In Vietnam, Gothenburg Port had a working trip to Hai Phong, visited Tan Cang Hai Phong International Container Terminal (TC-HICT), one of the member units of Saigon Newport Corporation, and suggested cooperation directions between the two sides.Memorandums of understanding were signed to jointly promote the market, exchange experiences in port operations, especially digital transformation, green transformation, sustainable development and human resource development for the port operations industry, logistics services and supply chains, etc.

Source: Cong Thuong Newspaper