APL has commenced another intra-Asian loop out of Vietnam to cater for increasing cargo demand.rnCalled JTV, the weekly loop deploys 3 x l,200TEU vessels and calls at Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Laem Chabang, Ho Chi Minh City, Kaoh-siung and Tokyo. It is the carrier's third new direct service from Vietnam since June.rnAPL expects that Vietnam will grow as an alternative location to China for manufacturing, due to the country's lower labour and manufacturing cost base (see 'Stand and deliver', pp40-41 for more information).rnVietnamese minister of Industry and Trade, Vu Huy Hoang recently said that although Vietnam's exports in the first nine months decreased by 14.3% compared with the same period last year, this was a much better performance than the declines of most other countries, which ranged between 20% and 30%.
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