The Port of Baltimore recorded its best quarter ever during the first quarter of 2018 as a record amount of general cargo and containers were handled in the state-owned public marine terminals.
Specifically, 2,765,247 tons of general cargo crossed the public piers during the first three months of 2018, 8% more than the first quarter of 2017, which was 2,560,065 tons. Also, the Port handled 156,991 containers during the first quarter, a 14% increase over 2017.
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The Port’s public marine terminals handled 1,000,571 TEU containers for the 12-month period ending April 30, 2018. That is the first time that the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) surpassed one million TEU’s.
The new records come after a record year in 2017 for the Port’s public and private marine terminals. The Port of Baltimore handled 38.4 million tons of cargo in 2017, the most since 1979 and the third-highest tonnage in its history. The public marine terminals handled 10.7 million tons of general cargo.
The Port’s combined public and private auto terminals also had a record year in 2017 by handling 807,194 cars and light trucks. It was the first time that the Port went over the 800,000 car/light truck mark and the seventh consecutive year that Maryland had handled more cars and light trucks than any other US port.
Among US’s ports, the Port of Baltimore ranks first for autos and light trucks, Ro/Ro heavy farm and construction machinery, and imported sugar. The Port ranks second in exported coal, while overall, it is ninth among all ports for the total dollar value of cargo and 12th in foreign cargo tonnage.
