An analysis of market concentration and efficiency in Vietnam's container ports

Nguyen Phong Nha

Maritime Business Review, 2026, vol. 11, issue 4, 298-318

Abstract: PurposeThis study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the structural evolution and competitiveness of Vietnam's container port system over the 2014–2023 period. It investigates how market concentration and port hierarchy have shifted in response to external shocks and assesses whether changes in market share align with improvements in operational efficiency. By focusing on both system-wide dynamics and port-level performance, the research seeks to inform national port development strategies and contribute to the global discourse on port resilience in emerging economies.Design/methodology/approachA combination of Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, shift-share analysis and super-efficiency data envelopment analysis was applied to 16 major Vietnamese ports. The methodology assesses changes in market share, rank mobility and the relationship between market dynamics and operational efficiency.FindingsThe results reveal a decline in market concentration and increased competitiveness of medium- and small-sized ports. Some ports improved their market share and efficiency simultaneously, while others showed a mismatch, indicating growth driven more by external factors than internal improvements.Originality/valueThis paper bridges the gap between market structure analysis and efficiency evaluation in an emerging economy context. It provides a replicable framework for assessing port system resilience and offers policy insights to enhance competitiveness through infrastructure and digital transformation.

Keywords: Vietnam's seaport; Market concentration; Port hierarchy; Efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.emerald.com/mabr/article/11/4/298/1346 ... ation-and-efficiency (text/html)
https://www.emerald.com/mabr/article-pdf/11/4/298/ ... r-06-2025-0058en.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:mabrpp:mabr-06-2025-0058

DOI: 10.1108/MABR-06-2025-0058

Access Statistics for this article

Maritime Business Review is currently edited by Chin-Shan Lu and Tsz Leung Yip

More articles in Maritime Business Review from Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Emerald Support ().