By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOT James J. White, Maryland Port Authority (MPA) executive director, is enthusiastic about the Port of Baltimore. “We’re coming off a great year,” he cheers. In a telephone interview with AJOT, White details how the Port of Baltimore saw 37.8 million tons of cargo cross their docks in 2011, up from 32.8 million tons in 2010. Of that was a record 24 million tons of export cargo. Exports account for 40 percent of Baltimore’s cargo. White sees this 60 (imports), 40 (exports) percentage better than many major East Coast seaports. All totaled, in 2011 the cargo accounted for more than $51.4 billion, the highest ever and a 24 percent jump from 2010. “With a 15 percent increase over 2010 tonnage figures in both our public and private terminals, the Port’s 2011 figures were better than any major U.S. seaport,” he exclaims. Adding to this good news, MPA announced that the port experienced a record first half of 2012, with 4.83 million tons of general cargo being handled for the first six month, topping the previous record of 4.69 million tons set during the pre-recession first half of 2008. This new record is also a 10 percent jump from the first six months of 2011 when the port handled 4.38 million tons of cargo. Baltimore is ranked as the top port among 360 U.S. ports for handling farm and construction machinery, autos and light trucks, imported forest products, imported sugar, imported iron and ore and imported gypsum. Baltimore ranks second in the United States for exported coal, imported salt, and imported aluminum. Noteworthy, the port handled more coal last year than it ever has in its history. “The same can be said for automobiles where the Port is No. 1 in the United States,” White reports. Commodities Going Strong That trend continued during the first half of 2012 with the number of automobiles handled increasing 27 percent. White claims this is largely because interest rates are so low, and with the average car in the United States today being 11 years old, people are replacing them. “Coming out of recession, people have been timid in making that type of investment,” he says. “But for the last two years, it’s been wonderful.” The exportation of U.S.-made automobiles is strong as well. Helping has been the rejuvenation of the U.S. auto industry. “Back in 2008-2009, people were questioning whether or not Chrysler was going to make,” White comments. Now he projects that at 140,000 units, Chrysler will be Baltimore’s No. 1 exporter this year in automobiles. “When we had the Great Recession, they were down to about 18,000 exports,” he says. Ford exports are also doing well. While GM is not a big customer at the Port of Baltimore, White anticipates it will probably handle 30,000 GM cars this year. GM ships through the Ports of New York/New Jersey and Wilmington, Delaware. But Baltimore has picked up a lot of their business this year. “It’s been more than we’ve seen in the past,” White says. White attributes GM’s choice of Baltimore to the fact the seaport has so many ocean and ro-ro carriers calling at the port. “The frequency of sailings is better from Maryland than any other port on the East Coast,” he says. “Also, when you have a lot of carriers, you have a competitive environment for large manufactures to shop ocean freight rates.” Baltimore remains the No. 1 port in the United States for imported forest products. These encompass rolled paper from Finland, which is warehoused at Baltimore’s Locust Point, and Brazilian pulp that goes to Dundalk Marine Terminal. “The rolled paper business has suffered greatly in the last four to five years because of book readers and smart phones,” he remarks. “I don’t’ see it coming back as it was in past.” But White has high hopes for pulp from Brazil since the United States is not making pulp as it once did due to antiquated facilities that are now closing. Pulp is used to make paper products such as diapers, toilet tissue, and paper towels—products peop