On Tuesday, the Port of Charleston, South Carolina, welcomed the largest container ship in the container gateway's history.

The OOCL Iris, with a load capacity of 16,828 20-foot TEUs and a length of more than 1,200 feet, was moored at Welch Pier in Wando, breaking the previous berthing record held by CMA CGM's Marco Polo, The ship, which had a capacity of 16,022 TEUs, docked in May 2021.

"South Carolina Ports' strategic infrastructure investments allow us to continue to welcome the largest ships calling on the East Coast of the United States," Barbara Melvin, president and CEO of South Carolina Ports, said in a press release. "Iris docking at the Port of Charleston is a testament to our commitment to providing efficient port services to our customers."

Charleston has the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet.

By congressional order, the port of Norfolk, Virginia, is currently being dredged to 54 feet to accommodate aircraft carriers at the naval base there.

The arrival of the OOIL Iris comes as the South Carolina port is about to complete a year-long maintenance project on the quay foot walls to maintain a berth depth of 54 feet.

Launched and named in December, OOCL Iris is the second of 10 new container ships of more than 16,000 TEUs ordered by OOCL and the first to be delivered by China's Nantong Cosco Kawasaki Marine Engineering Co.

The ship is scheduled to join OOCL's Trans-Pacific East Coast Express (ECX1) route, which will also call at New York and Savannah.

Asia is the largest trade route for the South Carolina port, accounting for 50 percent of the port's throughput, with a total of 11 routes per week.

Charleston will be the last U.S. East Coast port in the rotation.

SC Ports said it is investing nearly $3 billion to modernize port infrastructure, expand cargo capacity and build rail infrastructure to speed cargo to market.

"Charleston's port depth and widening swing area, taller shore cranes, efficient docks and maritime communities work together to provide liquidity to our customers' supply chains," Melvin said. "The South Carolina port provides fast logistics in the booming Southeast market. This is a significant competitive advantage for sea carriers and shippers in the Charleston Port market."