Amid rising competition among port hubs in Southeast Asia and Asia as a whole, the key question is no longer simply one of “capacity expansion,” but a strategic one: can HCMC transform itself from “a major transshipment point” into an international maritime center (IMC)? This is not merely an infrastructure challenge, but one of institutions, governance models, service integration capacity, and the city’s long-term development vision. Logistics and seaports play a pivotal role in the economic development structure of HCMC and the entire Southern Key Economic Region. As the country’s largest economic hub, HCMC is not only a center of production and trade, but also a gateway linking Vietnam to regional and global supply chains. The port system—including Cat Lai–Phu Huu, Hiep Phuoc, Nha Be, and the deep-water Cai Mep–Thi Vai port cluster—has created a large-scale logistics space for the region. It currently handles around 15–16 million TEUs annually and is forecast to reach 26–32 million TEUs by 2030, once new infrastructure components such as Cai Mep Ha and the Logistics Center come into operation. Location advantages, scale, and the “strategic window” for HCMC to envision an IMC First, it is important to recognize that if an IMC is understood […]