Maersk Inc North America is to launch a new transpacific service aimed at securing a share of Vietnam’s rapidly growing export trade.

Parent AP Moller-Maersk said its US unit has added Vietnam to provide more capacity to the rapidly growing market that has seen gains of 52% and 25% in the past two years.

The service, which will link ports in Vietnam and China with the US east coast via the Panama Canal, is due to start in May.