Book

Description

Since the 1990s, there has been a trend of global production relocation, which has significantly changed the factors that influence shippers' choice of transport mode (Giao et al., 2018). As a result, seaports have become a crucial factor in the economic development of countries, playing a vital role in promoting international trade. To address the challenges posed by the increasingly complex, dynamic, and unpredictable port environment, multidisciplinary researchers have developed numerous models and decision support tools in this field. In the past four decades, there has been extensive research on the topic of port competitiveness, which has garnered significant attention from the academic community. While research on this subject can be traced back to the 1960s with the work of Britton (1963), it was not until the late 1980s that it gained widespread recognition. This can be attributed to the pioneering studies of Williams (1988), Murphy et al. (1989), and Warf and Kleyn (1989). The maritime industry, known for its dynamic business network (Van der Lugt et al., 2007), views port competitiveness as a crucial factor in the development of port systems. This perspective highlights the importance of cooperation in achieving port competitiveness (Nalebuff et al., 1996). Ho Chi Minh City, the economic hub of Vietnam, is a bustling coastal metropolis with a thriving river network. The city boasts the most advanced seaport system in the country, consisting of 42 ports and port clusters spanning nearly 13km. These ports offer comprehensive seaport logistics services and handle a significant portion of the country's import and export activities, accounting for approximately 60% of the South's trade. In fact, the Ho Chi Minh City seaport has consistently ranked among the top 50 container ports in the world for the past three years (2020, 2021, and 2022), according to the World Shipping Council. Additionally, the city is a member of both the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and the ASEAN Ports Association (APA).