In an effort to reduce transit times between South East Asia and the US west coast, Japanese shipping group MOL is offering a new service between Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and North America.
MOL's new service will employ Phnom Penh's river barge terminal. Containers will be shipped via barge along the Mekong River to Ho Chi Minh's deepwater terminal and loaded to MOL's line-haul vessels for direct service to North America and intra-Asia.
"By utilising Phnom Penh's barge service, MOL will now provide two to 10 days faster transit times to USWC and Canada than our present routes over Singapore. Transit times to the key ports will be reduced as follows: Los Angeles in 20 days, Oakland, 24 days; Seattle, 19 days and Vancouver in 21 days," a company statement said.
Customarily, Phnom Penh containers are trucked to Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia where they are transferred to feeder vessels, shipped to Singapore and transshipped to line-haul vessels bound for North America. The direct barge service to Ho Chi Minh is expected to reduce intermodal travel and completely eliminate the need for feeder services and transshipping in Singapore.
"As the pioneers of this service, MOL management has spent a significant amount of time developing the details of this service, including actual "process trips" to familiarise ourselves with the customs and operations procedures, in order to develop a seamless service," said MOL (America) transpacific vice president Richard Hiller.
MOL's new service will employ Phnom Penh's river barge terminal. Containers will be shipped via barge along the Mekong River to Ho Chi Minh's deepwater terminal and loaded to MOL's line-haul vessels for direct service to North America and intra-Asia.
"By utilising Phnom Penh's barge service, MOL will now provide two to 10 days faster transit times to USWC and Canada than our present routes over Singapore. Transit times to the key ports will be reduced as follows: Los Angeles in 20 days, Oakland, 24 days; Seattle, 19 days and Vancouver in 21 days," a company statement said.
Customarily, Phnom Penh containers are trucked to Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia where they are transferred to feeder vessels, shipped to Singapore and transshipped to line-haul vessels bound for North America. The direct barge service to Ho Chi Minh is expected to reduce intermodal travel and completely eliminate the need for feeder services and transshipping in Singapore.
"As the pioneers of this service, MOL management has spent a significant amount of time developing the details of this service, including actual "process trips" to familiarise ourselves with the customs and operations procedures, in order to develop a seamless service," said MOL (America) transpacific vice president Richard Hiller.