It was a record year in 2012 for the public marine terminals at the Port of Baltimore. Key targeted commodities autos, containers, and roll on/roll off (farm and construction machinery) all saw their best years as the Port continued to rebound from the economic recession. Autos and roll on/roll off were the highest amounts in the U.S. In addition to the individual commodities, overall general cargo also reached an all-time high. In total, the port’s public and private marine terminals saw 36.8 million tons of cargo cross their docks last year. The total dollar value of that amount of cargo was a record $54 billion which placed Baltimore ninth nationally for dollar value of foreign cargo.

“The Port of Baltimore continues to prove that it is one of the most productive seaports in the U.S.,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “The Port has successfully withstood a challenging economy and has outperformed many other major U.S. ports thanks to shrewd infrastructure investments, unique job-creating business partnerships, and long-term contracts with major international shipping companies. Now with a new tentative national labor contract, a new 50-foot deep container berth with four supersized cranes, and healthy overall business growth, the future of the Port of Baltimore has never looked brighter. This is excellent news for the more than 14,000 men and women who depend on the port to support their families.”