APL Alexandrite First Call, Cai Mep Port

The ship APL Alexandrite became the first linehaul container vessel to call at the Saigon Port-PSA (SP-PSA) deepwater container terminal located on the Cai Mep river in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province in southern Vietnam.

The 3,821 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) vessel was undertaking a trial voyage ahead of the beginning on 4 June of the industry’s first direct container shipping service linking Vietnam and the West Coast of North America.

The APL Alexandrite’s historic arrival was witnessed by hundreds of well wishers at SP-PSA, which is Vietnam’s first operational deepwater container terminal serving southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City.

The 4,250 TEU vessel, APL Denver, which is deployed on APL’s Pacific South 1 service, was scheduled to depart the SP-PSA facility for Seattle on 4 June.

(www.apl.com/services)