FIATA President, Mr. Turgut Erkeskin, underscored the timeliness of the Congress theme, noting the profound transformations reshaping the global logistics sector. These shifts are driven by geopolitical volatility, the surge of e-commerce, technological advancements, and increasing sustainability pressures.
“Freight forwarders are at the centre of these developments, ensuring goods move reliably, efficiently, and responsibly toward people and the planet, even as protectionist trends rise,” Mr. Erkeskin stated. He affirmed that the week’s sessions will focus on resilience, sustainability, skills development, and stronger cooperation across borders and transport modes. He also stressed that the Congress’s greatest strength lies in the connections and trust it creates, making it a critical forum for shaping the industry’s future together.
Dr. Stéphane Graber, FIATA Director General, highlighted FIATA’s crucial role in navigating the green transition through policy engagement, partnerships, and capacity building at the global level. “FIATA ensures the voice of freight forwarders is heard at the policy building level, to ensure transparency, practicality, and feasibility for industry implementation,” he emphasized.
Dr. Graber pointed to two key initiatives supporting this transition:
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Permanent Observer Status: FIATA’s confirmation as the only freight forwarding and logistics representation with permanent observer status at the IMO is critical for ensuring the freight forwarding perspective is included in maritime sustainability discussions, particularly on the decarbonization plan to be discussed at the upcoming Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting.
Smart Freight Centre (SFC) Partnership: This collaboration has resulted in a co-branded training programme on emissions accounting, which will contribute to “building common understanding and transparency in emissions reporting, preparing the industry for upcoming regulatory and customer-driven standards.”
Representing the host country, Mr. Dao Trong Khoa, President of the VLA, expressed pride that Vietnam—an emerging logistics hub in the Asia-Pacific region—is welcoming the global logistics community. He emphasized that the event reaffirms Vietnam’s rising global position and the trust of the international community, citing strong government support, notably from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Mr. Dao Trong Khoa highlighted Vietnam’s dynamic economy and impressive import-export growth, with trade turnover expected to surpass $800 billion in 2025. With over 45,000 logistics enterprises, the sector currently contributes $70–$80 billion to the national economy and holds strong potential to become a new ASEAN logistics hub.
Crucially, the Congress aligns with Vietnam’s strategic commitment to sustainability. The VLA President noted the country’s National Green Growth Strategy for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, which identifies logistics as a priority sector. This serves as a key pillar in realizing Vietnam’s net-zero emissions commitment by 2050. He acknowledged the urgent need to address high domestic logistics costs (16–18% of GDP) and the sector’s CO₂ emissions (8–10%), stressing that “This highlights the urgent need to both reduce costs and ‘green’ operations, thereby creating a foundation for sustainable competitive advantage.”
The FIATA World Congress 2025 is not only a platform for knowledge exchange but also a significant opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to connect with a global network, expand investment linkages, and showcase Vietnam’s capabilities, ultimately creating a strong momentum for attracting international capital into domestic logistics infrastructure.
