MOL Plans Vietnam-U.S. Loop in June

MOL became the second carrier in two days to announce direct service from Vietnam to the U.S. West Coast in June. The Japanese shipping line said its Pacific Southwest Express (PSX) service will begin calling on Cai Mep International Terminal at Saigon Port near Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

APL announced Thursday it will begin a direct service from Ho Chi Minh City to the U.S. West Coast in the first week in June.

The route has become increasingly popular as more apparel manufacturers shift their production from China to Vietnam to take advantage of lower wage costs.

Until now carriers have served the market with feeder services using smaller vessels that could navigate the country’s shallow harbors, but with the dredging of the harbor to a deeper draft, carriers have begun offering direct services.

MOL said its PSX service will call at Tan Cang Cai Mep Terminal, located approximately 31 miles southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, in the province of Ba Ria Vung Tau. The first sailing from Cai Mep will be the MOL Premium on June 4.

The PSX service will call at Los Angeles and Oakland and will provide 16 day service from Cai Mep to Los Angeles.

The port rotation is :Cai Mep ( Wed/Thu), Hong Kong (Sun/Sun), Yantian (Mon/Tue), Los Angeles (Sat/Tue), Oakland (Wed/Thu), Tokyo (Sun/Mon), Xiamen (Thu/Thu), Dachan Bay (Fri/Sat), Hong Kong (Sat/Sun) and back to Cai Mep (Wed).

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