North Carolina State Ports Authority

The North Carolina State Ports Authority is a state agency that operates North Carolina’s public port facilities and supports maritime trade and freight transportation. Created by the General Assembly in 1945, the authority developed deepwater terminals at Wilmington and Morehead City that opened in 1952. Today it operates the Port of Wilmington, the Port of Morehead City and the Charlotte Inland Port, with additional rail connectivity through the Carolina Connector in Rocky Mount. Its facilities handle containerized, bulk and breakbulk cargo and link North Carolina businesses with domestic and international markets. The authority says port activity supports more than 88,000 jobs statewide and generates about $660 million annually in state and local tax revenue.