In response to increased customer demand, UWL and Swire Shipping have announced the addition of a new port call for export refrigerated containers in Busan, Korea on the popular Sun Chief Express service.

"Many clients have expressed a strong preference for a return to the shorter Ho Chi Minh - Seattle eastbound voyage, as the service was initially conceived, as well as a quicker Seattle – Haiphong leg on the westbound voyage,” said UWL President Duncan Wright. “Swire Shipping’s decision to add this call for export reefer containers in Busan will give export customers additional reach into Asia and provide American agricultural exporters better access to global markets.”

This new port call coincides with a recent adjustment to the Sun Chief Express schedule, which was made to increase efficiency while also adding the Busan call. The new service rotation is now Seattle - Busan - Haiphong - Ho Chi Minh – Seattle.

“We are excited to add this new call to the Sun Chief Express service,” said Rufus Frere-Smith, Head of Projects for Swire Shipping Americas. “Combined with the enhanced change to the rotation, we continue to provide a service that is best in class in the market. As well as expanding capacity to US exporters by using available slots to carry cargo, utilization of otherwise empty slots for repositioning contributes to more efficient use of ships and reduction in net CO2 emissions.”

Clients using Sun Chief Express for import service can take advantage of UWL's robust presence in the Pacific Northwest, including partnerships with its sister companies World Distribution Services and Pacific Cascade. Together, the companies offer over half a million square feet of retail distribution space in the region. Transloading, cross-docking, and other distribution services are available, in addition to multiple IPI rail connections and over-the-road trucking options to move their freight inland

Importers and exporters alike are assured quick throughput in and out of the port, thanks to strong relationships with the Northwest Seaport Alliance and their partners.

“Customers have been thrilled with the progress our reefer export program has made, and now is the time to expand,” added Wright. “The reliability, efficiency, and commitment to service are second-to-none, and we know these adjustments will help us continue to provide and exceed the level of service customers have come to expect.”