ONE adds Haiphong to PN2 service

The updated service creates the first direct link between North Vietnam and the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada, ONE said.

   Ocean Network Express (ONE) has added Haiphong into its Pacific North West 2 (PN2) service, creating the world’s first direct link between North Vietnam and the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada, ONE said Thursday.
   The upgraded PN2 service commenced from Singapore April 2 and has transit time of 14 days from Haiphong to Tacoma and 17 days to Tacoma, said ONE, a member of THE Alliance. The service’s port rotation is Singapore — Laem Chabang — Cai Mep — Haiphong — Yantian — Tacoma — Vancouver — Koahsiung — Singapore.
   A celebration ceremony was held Wednesday at Haiphong International Container Terminal (HICT), which coincided with the arrival of the Nagoya Express the same day.
   “It’s beyond our imagination a vessel with 8,700-TEU capacity can call Haiphong and directly ship cargo from North Vietnam to Pacific North West,” said Shunichiro Mizukami, region head of East Asia and managing director of ONE East Asia, in a statement. “Under a public-private partnership scheme between Vietnam and Japan, the construction of HICT as the first deep-water container terminal in Haiphong has contributed to the launch of the new direct service from Haiphong to Tacoma and Vancouver, which is the first masterpiece responding to the precious voices of our valuable customers in North Vietnam.”
   HICT is a joint venture between 51 percent shareholder Saigon Newport Corporation, 17.5 percent shareholder MISUI O.S.K. Lines, 16.5 percent shareholder Wan Hai Lines and 15 percent shareholder Itochu Group. It is northern Vietnam’s largest deep-water container terminal and can accommodate vessels up to 14,000 TEUs, according to its website.
   The Port of Oakland announced earlier this week it will add a direct service to Vietnam by late April that will be launched by Pacific International Lines using vessels that can carry up to 11,900 20-foot containers.