On 20 January 2008, YICT welcomed the maiden call of the "AL Safat", the first of eight 7,000-TEU vessels that United Arab Shipping Co. (UASC) has deployed to its Asia-Europe Container Service 3 (AEC3).
AEC3 vessels, which call on YICT every Saturday, take 56 days to complete their voyage across North, Central and South China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Northern Europe and back. The port rotation is as follows: Qingdao, Shanghai, Yantian, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jeddah, Suez Canal, Hamburg, Antwerp and Le Havre.
YICT currently offers more international shipping services than any other port in South China. A total of 84 weekly services visit YICT, including 32 that serve Europe and 37 that serve North America.