Sea-use fees proposed to spur offshore development

Pricing mechanism based on marine spaces

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has issued Circular 18/2026/TT-BNNMT, which regulates fees for the use of sea areas under the authority of the Minister of Agriculture and Environment. The circular aims to specify several provisions in Decree 11/2021/ND-CP and related amended and supplemented documents.

The regulation applies to agencies, organizations, and individuals engaged in activities that require payment for the use of sea areas under the authority of the Minister of Agriculture and Environment. It also applies to agencies, organizations, and individuals involved in compensation when the State, within the same authority, reclaims sea areas for public purposes, national defense, or security.

One of the core elements of the new circular is its approach to determining usage fees based on geographic location and clearly defined marine zones.

According to Article 2, sea areas are divided into inter-regional waters and several distance bands from shore: 6–9 nautical miles, 9–12 nautical miles, 12–15 nautical miles, and beyond 15 nautical miles.

Based on this zoning system, Article 4 sets specific fee levels for each activity, with the guiding principle that fees gradually decrease as distance from the coastline increases.

For example, in sea dumping activities, the fee is VND 20,000 per cubic meter within the 6-9 nautical mile zone, while it drops to VND 15,000 per cubic meter beyond 15 nautical miles. For port operations, services, and oil and gas activities, the fee is VND 7.3 million per hectare per year within 6-9 nautical miles and VND 6.5 million per hectare per year beyond 15 nautical miles.

This pricing approach is not limited to a few specific activities. It is applied consistently across multiple sectors such as offshore infrastructure, cable and pipeline systems, aquaculture, and energy development.

The circular clearly states that if a sea area spans multiple zones, the fee will be calculated separately for each corresponding portion of the area. This ensures accurate valuation for each marine space instead of applying an imprecise average rate.

In addition, for inter-regional waters defined in Article 3, many activities share a unified fee of VND 7.5 million per hectare per year. This approach aims to simplify fee collection procedures and facilitate management.

Financial tool encouraging offshore fishing development

Beyond clarifying regulations, the circular also highlights the role of financial policy in guiding marine spatial development. Through its fee structure, the State encourages and prioritizes offshore exploitation.

More specifically, sea area use fees decrease with increasing distance from shore. This mechanism creates economic incentives for projects to move further offshore, where there is significant potential but historically limited development due to higher costs.

In particular, the renewable energy sector is strongly encouraged through the fee structure. Fees are set at VND 7 million per hectare per year within 6 - 9 nautical miles, decreasing to VND 5.5 million per hectare for 9 - 12 nautical miles, VND 4.5 million for 12 - 15 nautical miles, and only VND 3 million beyond 15 nautical miles. This significant gap not only helps reduce investment costs but also provides a clear policy direction for offshore wind power projects, which play an important role in the country’s energy transition.

Similarly, in aquaculture, fees decline from VND 7 million to VND 4 million per hectare per year when operations move beyond 15 nautical miles. This indicates that the policy not only supports major industries but also expands development space for traditional marine economic sectors.

For sea dumping activities, the circular establishes a dual calculation method based on both spatial zones and volume. In inter-regional waters, a unified rate of VND 20,000 per cubic meter is applied. In other marine zones, the fee varies with distance from shore, gradually decreasing from VND 20,000 per cubic meter within 6–9 nautical miles to VND 18,500 per cubic meter for 9–12 nautical miles, VND 16,500 per cubic meter for 12–15 nautical miles, and VND 15,000 per cubic meter beyond 15 nautical miles.

This approach is considered practical because sea dumping carries higher environmental risks than many other activities. Designing differentiated fee levels across marine zones, therefore, functions both as a financial obligation and as a behavioral regulatory tool, helping to tighten oversight of such activities.

Effective from March 31, 2026, to March 31, 2031, Circular 18/2026/TT-BNNMT is expected to bring significant changes to how marine resources are exploited and utilized. The tiered fee structure, prioritization of offshore development, and standardization of financial policies represent important steps toward more sustainable marine economic development.

*$ 1 = VND 26,338 - Source: Vietcombank.