Hue is leveraging its advantageous location, infrastructure, and specific mechanisms and policies to gradually build itself into a commercial center of Central Vietnam; in which, trade and services are identified as important growth drivers for the future.
Advantages
Hue is located in the central region of Vietnam, serving as a connecting point between the two ends of the country and an important gateway for the East-West economic corridor. This gives the city an advantage in developing trade, logistics services, and goods transshipment.
Over the past years, with the attention and investment from the central and local governments, the transportation infrastructure in Hue has been continuously improved, creating an important foundation for the development of the trade sector. Major transportation routes such as National Highway 1, the Ho Chi Minh Highway, and the Cam Lo – La Son and La Son – Tuy Loan expressways have been invested in, contributing to shortening travel time and increasing connectivity between Hue and economic centers in the region and the country. In addition, Phu Bai International Airport and Chan May deep-water port have been invested in, expanded, and upgraded, meeting the requirements for passenger and cargo transportation and serving import, export, and logistics activities.
Along with transportation infrastructure, Hue’s commercial infrastructure is increasingly developing. Shopping centers, supermarkets, wholesale markets, and commercial streets are being invested in with a civilized and modern approach. In particular, the opening of Aeon Mall Hue and GO! Huong Tra Supermarket at the end of 2024 has contributed to the formation of a diverse goods distribution network, meeting the growing shopping needs of residents and tourists. The development of digital infrastructure, e-commerce, and logistics services also opens up new opportunities for commercial activities, helping Hue gradually approach the model of a modern commercial center in the region.
A prominent advantage of Hue today is its system of specific mechanisms and policies issued by the central government, creating strong momentum and impetus for economic and trade development. Hue becoming a centrally-governed city is not only a turning point in administration but also opens up new opportunities in attracting investment, allocating resources, and formulating long-term development policies.
The policies of the Party and State clearly define the direction for building Hue into a major center for culture, tourism, specialized healthcare, science and technology, and education and training for the whole country; while simultaneously developing the economy in a sustainable and modern direction. In this, trade and services are considered an important pillar, playing a role in spreading and supporting the development of other sectors.
Hue is also benefiting from many preferential policies in attracting investment into economic zones, industrial parks, and commercial-service zones, especially the Chan May – Lang Co Economic Zone. Policies on administrative procedure reform, business support, private sector development, and encouragement of entrepreneurship and innovation have created a more open, transparent, and attractive investment and business environment for domestic and foreign investors.
The city also focuses on developing commerce while preserving and promoting traditional cultural values. This is a distinguishing feature compared to many other localities. Pedestrian streets, commercial spaces combining culture and tourism, traditional craft villages, and OCOP products are being promoted, creating livelihoods for the people while contributing to promoting the image of Hue and increasing the added value of commercial activities.
Towards a modern shopping center
According to the draft revised urban planning of Hue for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the city aims to develop commerce in a modern, integrated manner, strongly applying digital technology and e-commerce, in line with the development trends of the digital economy and the requirements of international integration. Commerce is positioned as one of the important growth drivers, contributing to the development of other industries and sectors. The focus of the aforementioned planning orientation is the formation of leading commercial enterprises and corporations in the city center, creating a nucleus for the development of the retail, distribution, and professional commercial services market. Along with this, the city also focuses on supporting the development of small businesses and household businesses, especially in rural areas, to ensure harmonious development between urban and rural areas, expand consumption spaces, and increase income for the people.
Currently, the city is increasing investment in the construction and upgrading of wholesale markets, supermarkets, shopping centers, logistics warehouses, and digital trading platforms. Commercial infrastructure projects are planned in conjunction with the North-South economic corridor and the East-West axis through the Hong Van – Co Tai border gate, meeting the requirements for the movement of goods within the region, between regions, and for import and export.
In its long-term development plan, the city is researching and planning the construction of a free trade zone in the Chan May – Lang Co Economic Zone, aiming to develop free trade models, logistics, goods transshipment, and value-added services, enhancing Hue’s competitiveness in regional and global supply chains.
Hue’s trade development orientation until 2030 is also placed within the overall framework of specific socio-economic development goals. Accordingly, the city strives to achieve an average annual growth rate of Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of 10-11%. The economic structure will shift towards modernization, with the trade and service sector accounting for 47-49%, industry and construction 36-38%, and agriculture 7-8%… Along with that, the average growth rate of realized investment capital will reach 10-11% per year, budget revenue will increase by 14-15% per year, and export turnover will increase by an average of 10-12% per year.
Participating in the workshop on adjusting Hue’s urban planning to 2030 and vision to 2050 in mid-January 2026, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, shared that the targets set out above show the increasingly important role of trade, import-export, and logistics services in Hue’s economic development strategy. Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien expects that, with its strategic geographical location, increasingly synchronized infrastructure, specific mechanisms and policies, and clear planning orientation until 2030, Hue will realize its goal of becoming the commercial center of Central Vietnam, deeply participating in the national and international trade network, creating new impetus for the city’s sustainable socio-economic development.
