Swiss logistics firm Mediterranean Shipping Company has launched a new direct container service from Vietnam to the U.S.’s west coast.

The SP-SSA International Terminal (SSIT) in the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on Tuesday berthed the MP THE BELICHICK, a container ship operated by the company’s new shipping service, Sentosa.

Ships will embark from Singapore and travel through Thailand’s Laem Chabang City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau to Long Beach City in the U.S.’s Pacific Southwest, and return to Singapore through China’s Shanghai, Ningbo and Xiamen cities.

An SSIT spokesperson said: “The demand for exporting to the U.S. has risen sharply since the U.S.’s stimulus package has boosted demand. The pandemic also makes people shop online, especially for products from Vietnam.”

Last month, the SSIT received the container ship MSC AURIGA of MSC’s direct service to the U.S, the largest ever to visit Vietnam.

Vietnam’s exports to the U.S. in the first quarter of this year were worth $22.23 billion, up 39.3 percent year-on-year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The main export included machinery and equipment ($4.36 billion), apparel ($3.51 billion), electronics ($2.85 billion), phones and components ($2.48 billion), and wood and wood products ($2.29 billion).