North Carolina Ports has entered a new partnership with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk Line with the addition of the TP10/Amberjack all-water Asia-U.S. East Coast container service. The enhanced TP10/Amberjack service consists of ten panamax 4,300-to-5,100 TEU ships.

The service commenced in early October at the Port of Wilmington with the arrival of the SeaLand Lightning.

“North Carolina has a ripe market that continues to drive the decisions of the world’s biggest container companies,” said Executive Director Paul J. Cozza. “Our inclusion in this rotation not only improves our visibility in international trade but also ensures the businesses that rely on us will have that much needed connection to Asia.”

The TP10/Amberjack’s rotation includes port calls in Qingdao, Xingang, Ningbo, Shanghai, and Busan in Asia. This transpacific service traverses the expanded Panama Canal on its way to U.S. East Coast ports. It has the fastest coverage from Asia to Wilmington and is the only service offering direct linkage to the U.S. East Coast into and out of Xingang.

“Our customers were clamoring for a stable Asia service in this location,” said Chief Commercial Officer Greg Fennell. “The TP10/Amberjack provides us with greater convenience and enhanced transit times for shippers doing business in Asia.”

Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping company, already deploys multiple strings into the Port of Wilmington via its intra-Americas regional ocean carrier SeaLand. The SeaLand Atlantico and revised SAE services provide access to Latin America for ports customers.

This announcement follows the recent return of intermodal rail service to the North Carolina Ports, the completion of the turning basin at the Port of Wilmington and the accommodation of the biggest ship in its history at 8,500 TEUs. The turning basin project included the removal of an existing bulk pier and dredging along the port’s side of the Cape Fear River to expand the turning basin from 1,200 feet to 1,400 feet. This expansion will typically accommodate vessels in the 8,000 to 10,000 TEU range, depending on the vessel’s profile.