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Giấy phép số 4978/GP-TTĐT do Sở Thông tin và Truyền thông Hà Nội cấp ngày 14 tháng 10 năm 2019 / Giấy phép SĐ, BS GP ICP số 2107/GP-TTĐT do Sở TTTT Hà Nội cấp ngày 13/7/2022.
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Smart factory transformation is not only a race to purchase technology, but more importantly a revolution in management thinking, workforce quality, and the ability to connect the value chain. Building smart factories is the destination of modern manufacturing. Facing fierce global competition and increasingly stringent requirements for cost optimization and…
From early March 2026, marine freight costs rose sharply by 25–35%, and shipping times for agricultural products to Europe were extended by 7–14 days amid Middle East tensions and higher fuel prices. The knock-on effect is a 3–5% increase in agricultural production costs, weakening the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods. As oil prices rise, pressures spread across the value chain—from inputs to consumption—while businesses face weaker global demand.
In practice, many containers carrying fresh fruit such as mango, dragon fruit and durian had to wait at ports due to schedule changes. The delays contributed to quality degradation and higher storage costs. In the seafood sector, orders for pangasius to the Middle East have also been delayed or postponed, leaving exporters with a “dilemma”: continuing shipments increases risk, while stopping shipments can mean losing market share.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has prepared contingency scenarios in two phases.
In the near term, the ministry recommends stabilizing input prices, including fertilizers and fuels, and considering reductions in import duties on essential goods. It also calls for expanding credit, lowering interest rates, and providing working capital to prevent supply chain disruption. Additional measures include mechanisms for buying and stockpiling rice, and coordinating with shipping lines to stabilize routes and limit last-minute cancellations.
Over the longer term, the agricultural sector plans to restructure and diversify markets to reduce dependence on geopolitically risky regions. It also aims to promote domestic consumption and improve product quality to deepen penetration into stable markets such as the EU, the United States and Japan, strengthening resilience to external shocks.
Conflicts in the Middle East and rising fuel prices are pressuring firms across supply chains, transport and logistics. Volatility increases fuel costs, freight charges, risk insurance and operating costs throughout the value chain. Disruptions—particularly affecting energy flows and shipping—raise the risk of delays and schedule instability, pressuring logistics firms’ production efficiency.
For Vietnam Post, fuel price fluctuations have directly increased operating costs, especially for transport, transshipment and hub operations. When input costs rise, firms face a “double burden”: maintaining service quality and dispatch speed while controlling costs to sustain efficiency and competitiveness. The pressure extends to fleet operations, route optimization, load planning and service mix.
Vietnam Post says it has implemented countermeasures including reviewing and optimizing operating costs, regulating output and load, improving network efficiency, and studying price and surcharge adjustments to partly offset higher costs while staying within market acceptance. It has also tightened KPI oversight at the collection stage to shorten total transit time, and strengthened inspection and rehandling before export to prevent damage or added costs linked to weight changes (DIM).
Vietnam Post also calls on authorities to continue stabilizing fuel markets and ensure continuous supply. It highlights the need for policies to reduce cost pressures, complete multi-modal infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation. In the long term, it recommends incentives for investment in fuel-saving vehicles and measures to enhance supply chain resilience amid ongoing global energy-price volatility.
Geopolitical conflicts are driving up logistics costs and uncertainty across sea, air and road transport.
One logistics operator described how transit times and spoilage risk have increased for fresh fruit shipments to the Middle East. Previously, shipping to Dubai took about 18–20 days plus 2 days for procedures. Now, ships may have to wait at a transshipment port for an additional 10–15 days, lengthening total transit time and increasing spoilage risk. The operator said the plan for the year is to shift focus toward closer, more stable markets such as Japan, Korea and especially China.
On China, the operator said logistics costs are relatively stable compared with international sea routes, and shipping prices “hardly fluctuate,” improving planning predictability. It also noted that while standards may be less strict than in Europe or the US, two requirements must be complied with strictly: planting region codes and packaging facility codes. The operator also cited opportunities for re-exports to markets such as Russia or Europe.
Another exporter described how freight-rate fluctuations follow cycles. It cited May 2024, when the U.S. President imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs, triggering a surge in exports ahead of the tariffs. This led to a shortage of empty containers and freight rates to Europe rising to 7,000–8,000 USD and to India around 3,000–4,000 USD—about five times the normal level. The exporter said such spikes are temporary and that freight rates are expected to gradually stabilize, but firms still need to monitor developments and advise partners promptly.
In the seed sector, geopolitical and market volatility adds pressure, though seasonality means the impact is not yet “extreme.” The main challenge is seed imports, where exchange-rate fluctuations and higher shipping and insurance costs raise seed prices. About 85–90% of vegetable seed sourcing is imported. Rice seeds largely meet domestic needs, but hybrid seeds rely heavily on imports at roughly 70–75%. Vietnam Seed Trade Association member firms say they are cutting costs and optimizing the value chain to stabilize prices, with some accepting lower profits to support farmers.
The seed sector also points to the need for long-term planning to build self-reliance, including improved forecasting capacity and strengthened R&D investment. It calls for refining institutions and reallocating resources to the National Seed Program to create conditions for firms to invest in research and gradually reduce import dependency.
Exporters interviewed said shocks are likely to continue, but they expect demand to rebound after current difficulties, particularly those affecting the Middle East. They cited the region’s high import dependence and said ports such as Dammam and Jebel Ali remain major hubs, with alternative routes via the Red Sea and Oman as viable transit points.
To support the logistics sector, recommendations include flexible fuel price management in the short term, potential waivers or reductions of logistics taxes and fees, and streamlined customs procedures to speed up movements. In the long term, governments are urged to enhance market-forecast information sharing and implement a robust investment framework for warehouse infrastructure to improve self-reliance and competitiveness amid global energy-price volatility.
Vietnam Post recommends customers pack and wrap goods carefully, provide precise and detailed information about items, and ensure clear addresses to avoid disruptions or processing problems. It also advises limiting shipments of high-value goods to sensitive regions.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
