(Haiphong.gov.vn) - On the noon of October 29, Chairman of the City People's Committee Do Thanh Trung presided over a reception and working session with H.E. Ms. Jennifer Wicks, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Vietnam, on the occasion of the delegation's working visit to Hai Phong.
Delivering welcoming remarks at the reception, Chairman of the City People's Committee Do Thanh Trung warmly welcomed Ms. Jennifer Wicks and members of the working delegation to Hai Phong, congratulated the Ambassador on assuming her tenure in Vietnam, and expressed his expectation that the visit would open up new, substantive developments in bilateral cooperation.
Briefing on the local development situation, the Chairman of the City People's Committee highlighted that Hai Phong is the largest seaport city in the North, an industrial and external transport hub, and one of Vietnam's key growth poles, with an economic scale exceeding 29 billion USD (ranking 3rd nationwide) and maintaining double-digit growth for 11 consecutive years. The city has attracted 54 billion USD in FDI from 42 countries and territories, of which US investors account for 37 operational projects with total registered capital of over 1 billion USD, prominently including projects by Ford Vietnam Co., Ltd., General Electric, and GE Vernova. In 2025, the Ford Vietnam plant alone contributed more than 11,000 billion VND to the state budget. In terms of trade, the United States is the city's key export market; in the first nine months of 2026, two-way import-export turnover reached 4.93 billion USD (up 16.35% year-on-year), of which export turnover to the United States exceeded 4.13 billion USD. Currently, the city is actively materializing the Free Trade Zone model with specific, outstanding mechanisms and policies to expand economic space, striving to become an international logistics hub and integrate deeply into global supply chains.
During the working session, both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on key areas of mutual interest: Regarding the attraction of high-tech and semiconductor industry investments, city leaders emphasized that Hai Phong prioritizes selective attraction of projects in semiconductor chips, electronic integrated circuits, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, big data, and clean energy in the spirit of Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW of the Politburo. The city encourages leading US technology corporations to consider direct investment, joint ventures with domestic enterprises, and the establishment of research and development (R&D) and innovation centers in industrial parks, economic zones, and the Free Trade Zone.
Regarding infrastructure development and logistics services, the city introduced key driving transport projects connecting the Lach Huyen and Nam Do Son deep-water seaports, the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line, and expansion projects for Cat Bi International Airport (inaugurating the cargo terminal, constructing Passenger Terminal T2). Hai Phong hopes US enterprises will participate in investing in automated warehousing systems, cold chain logistics, the smart port model, and public-private partnerships (PPP) in offshore wind power and renewable energy.
Regarding law enforcement and a transparent commercial environment, the city's functional agencies briefed on proactive solutions to control illegal transshipment, prevent origin fraud, manage customs risks, and strictly implement the Coordination Regulations on the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights under Decision No. 75/2026/QD-UBND of the City People's Committee.
Regarding education and training, in light of the recruitment demand for approximately 400,000 workers in industrial parks and economic zones during the 2026–2030 period, the city proposed that US universities, research institutes, and enterprises expand partnerships with Vietnam Maritime University and local training institutions to train high-quality human resources in automation, mechatronics, supply chain management, and smart factory digital transformation.
Speaking at the working session, Ambassador Jennifer Wicks sincerely thanked the leaders of Hai Phong City for the warm and dignified reception, and highly appreciated the timely and responsible support of the local authorities for US enterprises and projects operating effectively in the area. Highly valuing the field visits to Vietnam Maritime University, Tan Cang Hai Phong International Container Terminal (TC-HICT), Pegatron Company, DEEP C Industrial Zones Complex, and Ford Vietnam Company, the Ambassador affirmed that Hai Phong's priority sectors, such as semiconductor technology, the digital economy, green logistics, and human resource development, are completely aligned with US cooperation programs under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The US Embassy committed to continuing to serve as an active bridge promoting US corporations and research institutes to step up fact-finding missions, investment promotion, and long-term cooperation with Hai Phong.
Chairman of the City People's Committee Do Thanh Trung affirmed that Hai Phong always welcomes, commits to accompanying, and creating the most favorable and open conditions for US investors and partners to implement safe, sustainable, and successful cooperation projects./.
Phuong Mai
Photo: Dam Thanh
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