The second cargo vessel to traverse directly between Viet Nam and the US’s East Coast berthed last weekend at the Tan Cang – Cai Mep Container Terminal in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Vietnam. The vessel, Hong Kong’s MV OOCL America – part of the Grand Alliance – is one of the fleet’s 10 freighters with a capacity of 5,500 TEU each that are deployed on the direct service. They depart every Saturday and complete the voyage in around 20 days. The route takes them to ports in Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Italy, Canada and on to New York. The first ship to ply to the eastern seaboard was operated by “K” Line and it berthed at another port in the same province last September.

From Vietnam News Agency, January 13, 2010