CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, Largest Ship in US

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A megaship longer than the Empire State Building is tall just docked in Los Angeles - The largest container ship ever to dock in North America just arrived at the Port of Los Angeles. It's longer than the Empire State Building is tall and wider than an Olympic-sized pool.

The French megaship, called the CMA CGM Ben Franklin, docked around dawn Saturday, the Daily Breeze reports.

It's loaded with 18,000 shipping containers, which are filled with auto parts, clothing, furniture, electronics, and shoes. The 20-foot-long containers now stack seven layers high, but in 2016, the port will make its cranes even taller, allowing workers to stack 10 containers on top of each other.

Despite its massive size, the Ben Franklin emits the lowest rates of CO2 per container of any ship, meeting the city's 2025 emissions standards.

The ship will also benefit the local economy and produce hundreds of jobs in the city, LA's mayor Eric Garcetti told The Press Telegram. The Port of LA already creates more than a million jobs across the country, and the region accounts for 40% of all US sea imports.

The Ben Franklin is so huge that no other U.S. port can handle it. Ships like these won't be deployed on a permanent, national basis until more ports can make space for them.