Modernizing ocean shipping towards quality, safety, reasonable cost, environmental pollution reduction, energy efficiency and better competitiveness is a major target of the plan for Vietnam ocean shipping development to 2020 and a related vision 2030, which were approved by the Prime Minister through Decision 1601/QD-TTg dated October 15, 2009. It is stated in this plan that the maritime economy is the second most important among five marine economic sectors from now to 2020 and the most important among these five marine economic sectors beyond 2020. The plan also says that maritime will contribute to strengthening national defense and security.

Based on analyses of factors that influence port successes, seaport development trends in Asia Pacific region and Vietnam, the plan for Vietnam seaport development to 2020 and a related vision to 2030, Vietnam maritime and seaport development orientations focus on improvement of ocean shipping service quality, satisfaction of domestic ocean shipping demands, increasing the market share of import and export goods transport to 27-30 percent, and transporting cargo according to the order of foreign partners. Vietnamese ships are expected to transport 110-126 million tonnes of cargo in 2015, 215-260 tonnes of cargo in 2020 and an amount of goods in 2030 which is 1.5-2 times that in 2020. They are expected to transport five million passengers in 2015, 9-10 million passengers in 2020 and a number of passengers in 2030 that is 1.5 times that in 2020.

Modernization of Vietnamese ships and attaching importance to developing vessels for special use (container ships, oil tankers, vessels for transporting bulk cargo, and more) and vessels of a big tonnage are also part of the development orientations. A goal is for Vietnam to have ships with a total tonnage of 6-6.5 million DWT (dead weight tonne) in 2010, 8.5-9.5 million DWT in 2015 and 11.5-13.5 million DWT in 2020. Another target is to reduce the average age of Vietnamese ships to 12 years in 2020.
Vietnam wants to see its shipbuilding industry reaching Southeast Asian advanced standards and being capable of building cargo ships of up to 300,000DWT in addition to modern passenger, oilfield, rescue and maritime guarantee ships in 2020.

Apart from upgrading and making a full use of existing seaports, it is necessary to construct international entrepot ports and other international ports in key economic zones, and deep water ports specifically designed for loading and unloading container cargo, coal, ores and modern equipment.

Trade between Vietnam and foreign countries has been growing rapidly. This is a favorable condition for the Vietnamese ocean shipping industry to develop. Modernizing ocean shipping towards high quality, safety, reasonable cost, environmental pollution reduction, energy efficiency and competitiveness improvement is very important for the Vietnamese ocean shipping industry to take the initiative in integrating into international maritime communities and expand markets in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.