Britain's largest container port has beaten its rivals to gain another contract with one of the world's top shipping lines.

The Port of Felixstowe has welcomed the first call of Evergreen's CES (China Europe Shuttle) service with the visit of the Ever Laden, able to carry 8,452 standard-sized boxes.

The CES service links North Europe to Asia with calls in Taiwan as well as China, and has recently only been calling at ports on the European mainland.

Clemence Cheng, chief executive officer for Hutchison Ports (UK), owners of Felixstowe, and an EDP Top100 business, said: 'The decision by Evergreen to call at the Port of Felixstowe underlines our position as the port of choice for container lines in the UK.

'The unique location of Felixstowe closest to the main shipping lanes and the ports of Northern Europe, combined with a road, rail and feeder network that is not replicated anywhere else, continue to set us apart from the alternatives.

'The UK container market is highly competitive and our customers all have a choice when it comes to selecting a port of call. We are committed to continually improving the levels of service we provide to them and ensuring that Felixstowe represents the optimum solution for their supply chain needs.'

Scott Chang, president of Evergreen Marine Corp, said: 'We are eagerly anticipating this new phase of our service from Asia within the CKYHE alliance.

'The improved CES via Felixstowe will provide a direct service from Taipei, Ningbo, Shanghai and Colombo and bring additional benefits to our customers in the UK.'

The first call of the CES service at Felixstowe is part of a realignment of the service which will also see new calls westbound at Colombo in Sri Lanka.