CKYH Alliance to Add Vietnam-USEC Loop

The CKYH Alliance will start direct service between Vietnam and the U.S. East Coast in the middle of August by adding Ho Chi Minh City to the current AWE-4 service.

“K” Line will operate eight of its 3,850-TEU vessels on behalf of the four-member alliance, which includes Cosco, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping.

This will be the first direct service between the port of Cai Mep, which serves Ho Chi Minh City, to Norfolk and New York. Transit time is estimated to be 27 days to Norfolk and 28 days to New York.

The CKYH announcement follows the launch of direct services between Vietnam and the U.S. West Coast in June by APL, MOL and Hanjin Shipping. The outsourcing of apparel production by major U.S. retail importers has encouraged the growth container services to Vietnam.

Direct service from Vietnam to the U.S. was delayed until this summer after the harbor at Cai Mep had been dredged to handle deep-sea vessels and the first two of the port’s six planned container terminals had been completed.

The port rotation of the revised AWE-4 service will be: Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Shekou, Hong Kong, Yantian, Norfolk, New York, Halifax, and back to Singapore.

Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com.