Although Nghi Son economic zone is an integrated economic zone, the priority economic sectors are heavy industry and petrochemical industry. This economic zone includes a non-tariff zone (free trade zone) and a tariff zone. Functional areas in the tariff zone include seaports, residential urban areas, entertainment areas, financial centers, service centers, operating centers, etc. The entire Nghi Son economic zone has an area of ​​186,118 km², covering 12 wards and communes of Nghi Son town: Xuan Lam, Tinh Hai, Hai Yen, Mai Lam, Hai Thuong, Hai Ha, Nghi Son, Truc Lam, Truong Lam, Tung Lam, Tan Truong, and Hai Binh. On June 17, 2015, the Prime Minister has just issued a decision amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Regulation on operation of Nghi Son economic zone (EZ) (Thanh Hoa province).

The land and island area includes the entire area of ​​the administrative boundary of Nghi Son town: 15 communes and 16 wards (of which 12 wards and communes of Nghi Son EZ exist); 3 communes: Yen My, Cong Binh, Cong Chinh in Nong Cong district; 3 communes: Thanh Tan, Thanh Ky, Yen Lac of Nhu Thanh district, Thanh Hoa province. Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is a key project currently in Nghi Son Economic Zone with a total investment capital (phase 1) of up to 6 billion USD. [1] The goal of building and developing Nghi Son economic zone of Thanh Hoa as well as of Vietnam is to become a multi-sector and multi-sector integrated economic zone with a focus on heavy industries and basic industries such as: petrochemical refining, high-class steel refining, mechanical engineering, repairing and building ships, electrical industry, manufacturing industry of building materials, manufacturing consumer goods, processing for export ... attached with the building and effective exploitation of Nghi Son seaport, forming key products with high quality and competitiveness, high-class services to promote export; expand to regional and international markets.