Maritime Industry 2026: Significant Growth Potential Remains
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s maritime, shipping, and port sectors are widely expected to maintain strong growth potential, supported by resilient import–export demand and ongoing infrastructure and fleet expansion strategies among industry players.
According to experts, although the business environment continues to face challenges from global economic uncertainty and trade policy fluctuations, Vietnam’s position as a major exporting nation ensures that maritime transport and logistics remain critical pillars of the country’s supply chain.
Maritime Companies Accelerate Port and Fleet Expansion
Mr. Le Quang Trung, Deputy CEO of Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC), noted that maritime, port, and logistics enterprises are facing significant development opportunities in the coming period.
For VIMC, the core strategy focuses on developing deep-water ports. With continued upgrades and modernization of existing ports across all three regions—North, Central, and South Vietnam—toward greener operations and higher efficiency.
At the same time, the corporation is prioritizing fleet expansion, particularly its container fleet, to gradually enhance long-haul export–import transport capacity. Currently, nearly 90% of Vietnam’s exports to Europe and the United States are still carried by foreign shipping lines.
Logistics and Integrated Services Become Key Investment Focus
Beyond ports and shipping fleets, logistics and warehousing have been identified as strategic growth areas in the next phase. VIMC is investing in integrated supply chain services, aiming to provide comprehensive logistics solutions for customers.
Priority sectors include consumer goods, processing industries, and agricultural products, with a strong emphasis on cold storage and cold-chain technology. These segments align with Vietnam’s export strengths and the rising demand for high-quality storage and preservation services.
Growth Potential Driven by Investment and M&A
According to Mr. Huynh Anh Huy, CFA, Director of Analysis at Kafi Securities. The most critical factor in evaluating maritime and port companies in 2026 is their growth potential.
This potential is primarily driven by two key channels:
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Capacity expansion investments: building new ports, increasing operating capacity, and expanding shipping fleets.
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Mergers and acquisitions (M&A): acquiring smaller companies to scale up operations and strengthen competitive advantages.
Several listed companies are actively pursuing these strategies. Including Gemadept (GMD), Hai An (HAH), and Viconship (VSC), while VIMC is also preparing multiple expansion plans for the coming years.
Reasonable Valuation Remains the Key for Investors
From an investment perspective, experts emphasize that strong business fundamentals are a necessary condition. But reasonable valuation is the decisive factor. Buying stocks with an adequate margin of safety helps investors shorten the waiting period for value realization while reducing downside risk.
Conversely, chasing stocks that have surged 30–40% in a short time may expose investors to prolonged correction cycles. Therefore, a prudent strategy remains to focus on companies with solid fundamentals. Clear growth prospects, and attractive valuations, targeting medium- to long-term investment horizons.
