Wan Hai Lines launches new container shipping service to Port of Oakland

Taiwanese shipowner Wan Hai Lines has launched the second container shipping service from North Asia to the Port of Oakland in the last three months as more importers seek to avoid the congested Los Angeles/Long Beach complex on the US West Coast, the port said May 10.

The new weekly service, Asia America Service V (AA5), departs from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, making stops in the Chinese ports of Yantian, Shanghai and Ningbo before crossing the Pacific and visiting the US ports of Seattle and Oakland.

It is the second new service to Oakland since February, when French shipping line CMA CGM launched the first direct trans-Pacific service from North Asia making its first US call to Oakland, the port said.

"We're gratified with these new services because they reflect growing recognition that Oakland is an essential trade gateway," Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes said. "This means more business for the port and more jobs here connected to the shipping industry."

The new service will add to Oakland's growing business in containerized imports, which increased by 45% in April 2021 from the same month last year and is expected to remain strong throughout the year, the port said.

Bottlenecks at US West Coast ports have persisted since October-November 2020 amid strong consumer demand for imports from Asia. The primary import gateway at Los Angeles/Long Beach was hardest hit initially, causing ships to divert to Oakland and other ports as waiting times increased.

Yet waiting times at Oakland climbed to 10-15 days as of May 6, compared with 10-13 days at Long Beach and five-six days at Los Angeles, according to a customer advisory from Danish shipping firm Maersk. The spillover also extended waiting times at Seattle to four days and Vancouver to seven days.