Taiwanese regional carriers Wan Hai, TS Lines and CNC Line will develop their Vietnam service offerings, as the Southeast Asian country continues to generate container cargoes.
TS Lines and CNC Line are adjusting their China-Vietnam-Cambodia (CVC) service, which they run jointly with Hong Kong-based Gold Star Line, to include a call at Bangkok, while excluding Nansha, Hong Kong and Danang.
Effective from 7 November, the revised CVC loop is Ningbo, Shanghai, Shekou, Sihanoukville, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Ningbo. Three ships of 1,700-1,800TEU, including a newbuilding, Green Sea, will be assigned to the service.
By doing this, the carriers are offering a link between China and Thailand and offering a seven-day transit period between Shanghai and Sihanoukville. The service restructuring comes a week after CNC Line expanded its Far East-Vietnam route.
Wan Hai and its Japanese partner Interasia Lines will launch CV8, a weekly service between North China, Central China, and Vietnam on 26 November. CV8 offers a direct connection between Dalian and Xingang in Northern China, and Vietnam.
The service loop is Qingdao, Dalian, Xingang, Ningbo, Xiamen, Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai), Danang and Qingdao. Three 1,700TEU ships will be deployed, with Wan Hai assigning two ships 1,762TEU Hannover Trader and Inessa, while Interasia will send in its recently acquired 1,756TEU Interasia Vision, a newbuilding resale from Zhoushan Changhong Shipbuilding.
CV8 will be launched with Hannover Trader departing from Ho Chi Minh City’s Cat Lai Terminal. The service will complement Wan Hai and Interasia’s existing CV1 service that connects Qingdao, Shanghai, Xiamen with Vietnam.
Container volumes between East Asia and South East Asia, especially Vietnam, have been growing because US-China trade tensions caused manufacturers to shift some production from China to Vietnam.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent