From Aviation Logistics to Free Trade Zones: A Breakthrough in the CT Strategies - SGMI - Minh Triet Capital Partnership

Representing SGMI, there was the attendance of Mr. Pham Quang Hung - Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Mr. Mai Xuan Hung - CEO and Member of the Board of Directors.

Representing CT Strategies, there was the attendance of Mr. Andrew Farrelly, CEO and Co-founder of CT Strategies, and Mr. Thoang Tran, Director of CT Strategies Vietnam.

Representing Minh Triet Capital, there was the attendance of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Mr. Vo Anh Tuan - General Director.

The event was attended by Ms. Nga Hoang – Senior Specialist at the Commercial Section - U.S. Consulate General in HCMC; Ms. Tran Thi Hai Yen - Director of the Southern Investment Promotion Center - Foreign Investment Agency - Ministry of Finance; Mr. Lam Xuan Minh - Director of Vietcombank Long Thanh, Mr. Phan Quang Cuong - Chairman of CF Group, and Journalist Pham Hung - Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Business Forum Magazine - Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Opening the event, Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung - Economic Expert and Independent Advisor to Minh Triet Capital, introduced the panoramic picture of "New Growth Drivers for Vietnam's Economy." Mr. Trung stated that in 2024, Vietnam achieved a positive growth of 7.1%, a high growth rate compared to countries in the region. The key drivers for growth came from FDI and exports.

Mr. Trung emphasized that the foundation of sustainable growth comes from infrastructure. Macroeconomic stability, exchange rates, and inflation are controlled in the context of the Government accelerating investment, with the determination to complete infrastructure and key national projects to improve logistics costs. "The double-digit growth target from 2026 is challenging, requiring additional new growth drivers. Vietnam is facing unprecedented opportunities with decisions on building the International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City, building Long Thanh Airport City - a Hub of international aviation infrastructure, linked with the Free Trade Zone to create a new growth pole. In this picture, logistics connectivity becomes an extremely important 'blood vessel,' a prerequisite to activate potentials for Vietnam to consolidate its special position in the global supply chain and realize major goals and ambitions," Mr. Trung assessed.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Mai Xuan Hung, CEO and Member of the Board of Directors of SGMI, said that Vietnam is facing a golden era as it gradually becomes the world's manufacturing and export location. The shift in supply chains has created an urgent need for fast, efficient, and reliable aviation logistics services.

Currently, Vietnam is critically lacking domestic logistics enterprises that meet international standards. This weakens the competitiveness of Vietnam's logistics industry when participating in the global supply chain, while also reducing the attractiveness of Vietnamese export goods. This is the golden investment opportunity that SGMI is determined to seize, he said.

SGMI's direction when signing the strategic partnership with CT Strategies and Minh Triet Capital is to participate in the aviation logistics field with a long-term vision of creating an aviation logistics enterprise with fair competitiveness against regional enterprises, contributing to bringing Vietnamese goods to exchange with the world faster, cheaper, and safer.

Mr. Mai Xuan Hung emphasized that the strategic partnership model between SGMI, CT Strategies, and Minh Triet Capital is a model maximizing the resonance of the 3 parties' strengths, which is the "formula" for success. In which SGMI is the Capital Investor for the development of the project's key physical infrastructure. CT Strategies is the Consultant on how to manage and operate the off-airport warehouse and free trade zone, supporting SGMI in achieving international logistics certifications (AEO; C-TPAT; ...), and Minh Triet Capital is the Financial and Public Relations Consultant, helping connect SGMI with potential customers, supporting SGMI in seeking and receiving strategic investors in the future.

According to Mr. Thoang Tran, Director of CT Strategies Vietnam, the integrated model of a free trade zone with Off-Airport Warehouses, CFS warehouses, and bonded warehouses is a model that has been applied in many countries, and in the context of Vietnam's economy, this model will help Vietnam's economy integrate deeper into the global economy.

Citing the model of free trade zones in Costa Rica, a Central American country with about 50 active free trade zones, Mr. Thoang Tran said that in this country, for every 1 dollar invested in a free trade zone, the nation earns 8 dollars. Costa Rica currently has a GDP per capita of more than 17,500 USD/person (2024 data). Analyzing Vietnam's advantages and development strategy, according to Mr. Thoang Tran, Vietnam, with a GDP per capita of about 5,000 USD, can refer to countries strong in developing free trade zones to unlock growth drivers.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Andrew Farrelly - CEO and Co-founder of CT Strategies modestly said that although CT Strategies is a "small business," CT Strategies has participated in deploying hundreds of free trade zones globally, especially CT Strategies has been and is participating in managing and operating nearly 200 out of a total of 294 free trade zones in the US. Looking towards Vietnam as a destination outside the US, according to him, in the context of changing politics, economics, diplomacy, and supply chains, what we are truly looking for is certainty coming from Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), from mutual understanding, and from co-creation. That is what CT Strategies is looking for, and the development of a free trade zone from the 3-party alliance will be perfect proof of the ability to seize those opportunities.

The Co-founder of CT Strategies emphasized that the partnership launched today does not stop at establishing a free trade zone or creating an environment for businesses to operate, but can also aim for further goals. That is bringing the latest technology in aviation security or plans for a new Aerotropolis, accompanied by the free flow of goods and trust between the private sector and the Government. He believes in the efforts and capabilities of the 3 parties to build the most modern, highest-tech free trade zone, not only for Vietnam but to serve as a model for the whole world in the near future.

"There is no better place than the Southeast region, with the presence of the International Financial Center, Cai Mep deep-water port, and Long Thanh International Airport, for us to build a successful free trade zone together, proving that Vietnam is a model for the region and the world. Choosing Vietnam as the first destination to expand means a lot to us. This project, together with new partners SGMI and Minh Triet Capital, is an interesting realization of the determination we made a few years ago," Mr. Andrew Farrelly affirmed.

Participating in the strategic alliance, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai, Chairman of Minh Triet Capital, shared. Vietnam's economy is achieving impressive growth, GDP over 8%, an import-export turnover over 900 billion USD, and Vietnam has entered the top 20 leading economies in total import-export turnover in the world. In this context, the demand for aviation logistics is becoming more urgent than ever, and Minh Triet Capital clearly defines its core role and responsibility as "Financial Nucleus – Investment Connection" in developing international trade relations.

"We commit to dedicating the best resources to realize not only the contents of the memorandum of understanding today, but will accompany the work of creating and developing Vietnam in the era of rising up," Mr. Hai committed. He expressed confidence that, with the support from the Governments of the 2 countries, the international experience of CT Strategies, and the deployment capacity of SGMI, the Off-Airport Warehouse Project at Long Thanh International Airport will soon go into operation and become a bright spot of Vietnam's logistics.

At the event, the 3-party cooperation signing ceremony between CT Strategies, SGMI - Minh Triet Capital took place.

Leaders of CT Strategies - SGMI - Minh Triet Capital together affirmed the commitment to establishing a long-term vision, joining hands to create an aviation logistics platform, developing an ecosystem parallel to the new "runway" to help goods and investment "take off," serving as a new growth driver contributing to realizing the goal of a prosperous Vietnam in the era of rising up.