APL launches first direct Vietnam-US shipping service

APL launched a weekly direct container shipping service between Vietnam and the United States on Jun 3, 2009. The US is Vietnam leading export partner, with about 20% of all Vietnamese outgoing freight heading for it.

The new service will offer the industry? fastest transit time from Vietnam to the US West Coast taking just 15 days to reach Seattle, and 16 days to Los Angeles.

In another first for Vietnam, APL loaded 53-foot containers on to the APL Denver including product shipped by global sportswear giant Nike, Inc.

The 53-footers have 60% more capacity than standard 40-foot containers. This extra space enables
importers and exporters to consolidate more cargo into fewer containers.

Nike will reduce transit times by an average of two to four days using the new service.

The reduction in transit days, as well as consolidating more product into fewer containers, will also reduce the company carbon footprint.

Major imports include machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, and raw cotton.

The new offering makes APL's Vietnam services among the industry most comprehensive. The carrier already makes weekly calls covering the entire country from Ho Chi Minh in the south, Da Nang in the centre and Haiphong in the north. <Korea Shipping Gazette>