chemical trading center; chemical market; Kim Bien Market; industrial chemicals; chemical fragrances; chemical safety; chemical storage; chemical warehouses; hazardous chemicals; fire and explosion risks; Department of Industry and Trade HCMC; Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh City will build a regional-scale chemical trading center.

The Department of Industry and Trade has proposed that Ho Chi Minh City reclaim and transfer an 11-hectare land plot in District 8 for the development of a chemical and fragrance trading center.

On July 26, during a working session with the city’s People’s Committee regarding the proposal, representatives from the Department of Industry and Trade reported that they had identified a suitable location and requested approval to begin surveying and implementing the project.

According to Mr. Nguyễn Ngọc Hòa, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, Ho Chi Minh City currently has approximately 638 establishments involved in chemical production and trading. Of these, industrial chemicals account for 401 establishments, mainly concentrated in Districts 5, 10, 11, Tân Bình, Gò Vấp and Bình Tân.

In District 5 alone, particularly around Kim Biên Market—including the streets of Gò Công, Vạn Tượng, Kim Biên and Phan Văn Khỏe—there are more than 70 wholesale and retail industrial chemical businesses.

These establishments function both as trading locations and as storage sites. With limited space yet large volumes of chemicals stored, they pose serious risks of fire and explosions and threaten the health of surrounding residents. Therefore, the construction of a centralized chemical trading center is deemed necessary.

Mr. Hòa stated that the proposed center would be located next to the Phong Phú Industrial Park, covering roughly 11 hectares, with detailed planning expected to be completed by the end of 2016. If approved, site clearance and construction could begin immediately, with the center scheduled to be operational by the end of 2017.

“The trading location must facilitate business activities for merchants and enterprises currently operating in this sector, while also meeting requirements for state management and ensuring safety in chemical storage and handling. All operations will be strictly regulated under city policies.

Furthermore, the city hopes that the center will not only serve as a commercial hub but also as a venue for consulting services, technology demonstrations, and exhibitions of new chemical products—not only for Ho Chi Minh City, but for the whole country and the region,” Mr. Hòa noted.

Kim Biên Market – the largest chemical trading market in southern Vietnam.

Concluding the meeting, Mr. Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, emphasized the urgent need to establish a chemical and fragrance trading center to eliminate chemical warehouses embedded within residential areas, which pose significant risks of fire and adversely affect public health.

“Once the city’s chemical and fragrance trading center comes into operation, Kim Biên Market will no longer be allowed to sell chemicals. There will be no warehouses or chemical-related goods of any kind.

All chemical business activities at this market—especially hazardous chemicals—must cease entirely. This is not only a fire safety issue but also a matter of protecting the health of city residents,” he directed.

The Vice Chairman requested that relevant departments complete the proposal promptly, aiming to build a multifunctional chemical trading center that meets domestic and international standards and has regional significance.

In addition to chemical trading, the site must also include properly zoned warehouses to allow businesses to store chemicals safely, ending the current situation in which chemical warehouses are scattered within residential neighborhoods and remain beyond effective state management.

The center will also be responsible for organizing exhibitions, providing business consultancy, and introducing new technologies and products in the chemical industry.

Earlier, on May 20, during a meeting between the City Party Committee and the District 5 Party Committee, Party Secretary Đinh La Thăng stated that residents in Ho Chi Minh City—and nationwide—were deeply concerned about Kim Biên Market, calling it the “market of death” due to the widespread sale of dangerous and toxic chemicals.

The Secretary urged local agencies to expedite the establishment of the chemical and fragrance trading center so that all chemical-related activities currently scattered across various markets can be consolidated into a single, well-managed location, ensuring the safety and health of the public.