Shipping company HMM said on Monday that it is dispatching a fifth vessel for the US West Coast sea lane in an “emergency move” to help South Korean exporters to the US market.

The 4600-twenty-foot-equivalent-unit container vessel named Integral will depart from the Port of Busan on Monday evening and head to Los Angeles, the company said.

HMM said nearly 64 percent of the vessel’s shipping capacity is products from small and medium-sized enterprises, including air purifiers, masks, hand sanitizers and automotive parts.

The move comes as it has become harder for smaller companies to secure shipping space in recent months, HMM explained.

Demand grew following an increase in port traffic in the second half of this year after its recovery from the contraction during the first half.

According to analyst firm Alphaliner, the share of nonoperating vessels peaked at 11.6 percent in May before climbing down to 1.5 percent in November.

The company said it plans to dispatch two more vessels in December.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)