From Cost to Competitiveness: Vietnam’s Logistics Transformation in the DeFi Era

Abstract

This study looks into the strategic repositioning of the Vietnamese logistics sector between 2020 and 2024, in response to the transfer of the sector from a high-cost logistics tool to engines and hubs of global supply chains. Based on a QLCA of the Vietnam Logistics Reports (2020–2024) released by the MOT, we discern by design a sequence of: reducing cost (2020), developing a workforce (2021), green logistics (2022), digital transition (2023) and free-trade zones (FTZs) (2024). These priorities constitute a harmonious platform in which cost effectiveness is the basis, human resources promote operations to progress effectively, sustainability embraces worldwide calls, digitalisation enhances effectiveness and FTZs transform these operations into hubs that compete globally. Applying the lens of institutional theory, we demonstrate how government policies drive this change, and so propel Vietnam towards becoming a regional logistics champion. But systemic issues such as unaffordability and a lack of capital remain, leading to an "implementation gap." With the aid of its data visualizations and case studies that include the Da Nang Free Trade Zone, this paper provides a longitudinal perspective on the logistics strategy of a developing economy, production of DeFi ecosystems where logistics matter for cost-efficient blockchain-based trade solutions.