On October 25, 2024, the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden hosted an online meeting with Saigon Port-SSA International Container Service Joint Venture Company (SSIT) and Sweden’s Port of Gothenburg to boost freight transport cooperation between the two countries. The meeting was attended by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy, Commercial Counselor, Mr. Phan Hoang Vu, Deputy CEO of SSIT, and Mr. Richard Melgren, Business Development Director of the Port of Gothenburg.

During the meeting, participants discussed collaboration plans in light of a new container shipping route planned by MSC, the world’s largest shipping line, which will connect the Far East and Northern Europe, with Gothenburg and Vung Tau ports included in the supply chain. This development is an important step in enhancing trade connectivity between Vietnam and Sweden, especially as international maritime transport faces geopolitical challenges.

The Port of Gothenburg, a leading Nordic logistics hub, and SSIT in Vung Tau are expected to become key transshipment points for Vietnamese goods entering the Nordic market. The parties aim to optimize supply chains, promote imports and exports, and improve transport efficiency through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on port cooperation, expected to be signed during the upcoming visit of Vietnam’s Vice President Nguyen Thi Anh Xuan to Sweden in early November 2024.

With MSC’s direct route and strengthened port cooperation, two-way trade volume is anticipated to grow, unlocking further economic potential between Vietnam and Sweden.