Port of LB Welcomes Largest Container Ship Serving U.S.-Asia Trade
On March 16, 2012, the Port of Long Beach welcomed the largest container ship ever to call on North America, the MSC Fabiola. The vessel measures 1,200 feet in length and is capable of carrying more than 12,000 container units.…
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Port Executive Director J. Lytle stated that this is the largest container vessel now serving U.S.-Asia Trade. The Port states the MSC Fabiola is the first of what is expected to be a string of larger container ships to be deployed by ocean carriers in Pacific Rim routes. However, few ports in the world have navigation channels deep enough to handle bigger ships. The Port of Long Beach's main channel is 76 feet deep, the deepest in North America and the Port will invest $4.5 billion over the next decade to modernize its facilities, including work on the Middle Harbor terminal and replacement of the Gerald Desmond Bridge with a higher span that will allow larger ships to reach the back channels.