Maersk Line announced that it will begin weekly vessel calls next month at the Port of Wilmington, N.C., on its service to Central America.
The move follows the carrier's decision to drop Charleston from its port rotation on the service.
The service will link Wilmington with Puerto Cortes, Honduras and Santo Tomas, Guatemala in northern Central America, with over-the-road service to El Salvador and Nicaragua. The first vessel call is scheduled for March 6.
Port officials said Wilmington's proximity to the state's textile operations increases their competitiveness in the global market through lower inland transportation costs.
"The cost savings on inland transportation to Wilmington will be realized in the delivery of raw materials to the port for export to the north Central American zone, as well as in the return of finished goods to distribution centers in North Carolina." said Thomas J. Eagar, the port authority's chief executive.