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Port of Baltimore Continues to Set Records in 2017

[ July 28, 2017   //   ]

For the first time, the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s public marine terminals surpassed 1 million tons of general cargo in one month, handling a total of 1,007,704 tons in May and leapfrogging past the previous record of 923,030 tons set in January.  The Port also set a record by handling 86,403 TEU containers in May.  That bested the previous mark set nearly two years ago.

The general cargo record of more than 1 million tons was also an 11% increase from May 2016.  General cargo includes cars, containers, farm and construction machinery, breakbulk and forest products (rolled paper and wood pulp).

The Port of Baltimore was the fourth fastest-growing port in North America in 2016, according to the Journal of Commerce (JOC). The JOC attributed a 9.8% increase in the amount of cargo handled from the previous year.

The ranking comes on the heels of several other achievements and a record-setting 2016, in which the Port’s public marine terminals surpassed 10 million tons of general cargo for the first time and handled a record number of containers, 538,567. The momentum from 2016 continued into 2017 with the Port coming out of the gate in January with a record month for general cargo and container tons. The Port’s strong performance continued as it recently announced a record first quarter for general cargo tonnage.

Containers are currently up 10% year over year at the Port of Baltimore. The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) recently announced the purchase of 70 acres of land near the Seagirt Marine Terminal that will be used for additional cargo opportunities including containers.

The JOC also recently recognized the Port of Baltimore as the most efficient container port in the U.S. for the third consecutive time. It averaged 71 container moves per hour per berth, a rate faster than any other major American port.

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