UK freight services company and NVOCC F.S. Mackenzie is offering one of the few direct container groupage services from Vietnam to the UK. The service, operated in conjunction with local forwarder Everich Ltd, operates from Ho Chi Minh City. “Within the operation of the service, the containers are transhipped at a regional hub port (usually Singapore). However, unlike other operators’ services the container itself is not devanned and restuffed there,” explains F.S. Mackenzie’s Import Manager John Smith-Allen.
“Vietnamese groupage containers tend to include cargo that’s destined for various markets. Normally, this is unloaded and reloaded at the transhipment port, leading to considerable delays and possible damage,” he added. “However, this is not the case with our service and the container is just reloaded to a mother ship operating into either Felixstowe or Southampton, according to consignee preference.”
Everich can offer a collection service from all parts of Vietnam. In the UK, distribution is available to all parts of the country on F.S. Mackenzie’s domestic network.
“Initially, the service will operate fortnightly, but the plan is to step up departures to weekly as volumes build up,” continues Smith-Allen. “A full load service is also available on demand.
“While the groupage service will be available on a freight all kinds (FAK) basis, clothing and footwear are expected to be the dominant traffics,” he adds.
With the addition of a container service from Vietnam, F.S. Mackenzie now offers direct groupage services from all major Southeast Asian countries and most others throughout the Far East.
Reproduced wit permission from http://www.eyefortransport.com News room
