Israel's Zim Integrated Shipping Service's Asian subsidiary uses Star Shipping to strengthen its shipping links and has established a joint venture with Vietnam and Haian Transportation and Handling (HATS).
this partnership called Lotus Link was announced as a Zim project, Lotus Link brings together the global, regional and local expertise and coverage capabilities of ZIM and HATS. In addition, as an extension of shipping services to customers, Lotus Link will also provide land logistics services, such as truck transportation and customs brokerage services.
joint venture will serve Vietnam's major ports Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Haiphong, as well as satellite provinces and their catchments, which currently have limited direct access to domestic and international shipping services. Hoffman said, "We will work together on the trade routes where Venus currently has no services, and we will also use HATS to meet our domestic market needs in Vietnam.
Zim also said in a statement that Lotus Link will target Vietnamese exporters and importers. The first Lotus Link service will be launched from Haiphong in March to serve its domestic and international traders by deploying Vietnamese-flagged ships.
The joint venture will eventually serve Vietnam's three main ports-Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Haiphong-as well as nearby provinces with limited direct access to international and domestic shipping services.
Headquartered in Vietnam's northern port city of Haiphong, HATS is one of the largest container routes in Vietnam, with 11 ships with a total capacity of 16,000 TEUs and a port and storage business. Mark Vu, general manager of HATS, said: "This is a significant development for both companies. Especially for Haian, it means a lot for the company. Our joint venture with ZIM will provide more choices for Vietnamese importers and exporters and help save logistics costs."
Abraham Elias, general manager of Star Shipping Vietnam Office, said: "We are very happy to cooperate with Haian. In this landmark cooperation project, Haian plays a key role in Vietnam's domestic trade. With the rapid spread of manufacturing activities to neighboring provinces, Lotus Link has the flexibility to provide services to Star Shipping and expand the coverage of our services to customers. We hope to provide valuable links between Vietnam and the international market through our global route coverage to support the development of related industries in Vietnam."
Star Shipping currently has seven regional routes serving Vietnamese ports, four of which stop at Ho Chi Minh City and three at Haiphong. Potential lotus links include strengthening links with ports in China, Philippines and Indonesia.
The joint venture will also provide land-side logistics services, such as truck transportation and customs declaration services.
"harbor purification scheme" has been continuously expanded in the past 12 months. In November last year, HATS delivered the 11th 1708 TEU's Haian Rose and opened a new domestic route connecting Haiphong, Chen May and Ho Chi Minh City in December.
Zim is also developing a Vietnamese business, last year at Ho Chi Minh City's eastern Tan Cang-Long-Binh inland container warehouse opened a 49000-square-foot warehouse, focusing on first and last mile distribution.
Forwardernet.com