UWL, an American-owned non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC) and provider of global 3PL services, has contracted with liner service Swire Shipping to launch an express service departing from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and arriving at the Port of Seattle in 18 days.
Providing speed and predictability, the bi-weekly service offers the fastest trip from Vietnam to the U.S., according to UWL.
“Customers have been asking for creative solutions during this extremely challenging market, and this first-of-its-kind service is part of our response,” UWL president Duncan Wright said. “Congestion and rate spikes will come and go, but the root issues remain. U.S. importers are pushing for more creativity and controlled reliable solutions to manage supply chain risk.”
The service offers priority berthing at origin and destination, and a dedicated equipment pool for suppliers in Ho Chi Minh City. This includes 6,000 new ocean containers, with 40-foot-high cube and 20-foot containers in the rotation. Predictability is assured, as schedules are published six months in advance, with two sailings per month, UWL noted.
Upon arrival in Seattle, those needing warehousing or distribution space can take advantage of UWL’s sister company, World Distribution Services and its new 300,000-square-foot facility near Tacoma, Wash., just a short drive away from the Port of Seattle.
“In joining forces with UWL…we are confident that our ocean express solution will be compelling to importers and exporters who need a direct port-to-port, fast and reliable service between Vietnam and the Pacific Northwest,” said Rufus Frere-Smith, regional head for the Americas at Swire Shipping, which facilitates trade in more than 90 countries and across 400 ports. “Our partnership is built on a joint vision of responding to customers’ desire for reliable, safe and innovative shipping solutions.”
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Wright said UWL has already seen strong demand for the service and the relationship with Swire Shipping is critical to making it work.
“We have deployed new state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient vessels that will sail at high speed, safely and sustainably,” Frere-Smith said. “We are confident customers and BCOs (beneficial cargo owners) will find this direct, express service to be extremely effective in shipping their high value products and getting to market quickly.”
Specializing in ocean transportation, air freight, road and rail, warehousing and distribution, project cargo and customs house brokerage, UWL’s owned assets include a national network of distribution centers, dependable trucking capacity, and WorldScope, a user-friendly data management platform that delivers transparency and visibility for customers.
Swire Shipping owns and deploys 30 vessels in the intra-Asia, Australasia and Polynesia trades. It is part of the Swire Group, a Hong Kong- and London-based British conglomerate. Its subsidiaries include Cathay Pacific Airlines, Swire Properties, China Navigation Company, Swire Hotels and Swire Resources.
In addition to UWL, World Group’s portfolio of brands that deliver end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions include Container Port Group, World Distribution Services and World Shipping Inc., with products in ocean drayage and domestic trucking, freight forwarding and air freight, customs house brokerage, vessel husbandry, and warehousing and distribution.