Two years after one of the most devastating maritime disasters in United States history, the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a wellspring of news and expansion.
More than $1.5 billion worth of projects are expected to further boost commerce along the Patapsco River marking quite a recovery from March 2024 when the Key Bridge collapse changed everything.
Positioning Port of Baltimore for the Future
“The two years after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge have been successful in terms of cargo returning to the port but also a challenge in that we have not fully recovered the position and the trajectory of growth that the port was on prior to the collapse,” said Joe Greco, president of the Steamship Trade Association (STA). “It is understood that there have been plenty of other factors impacting growth, such as tariff policy and geopolitics to be fair, but the STA and its member companies, the MPA (Maryland Port Authority), and the ILA (International Longshoremen’s Association) are all focused on continuing to regain lost cargo and attract additional cargo to the port.”
“The new container terminal being developed at Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA), a joint venture between TPA and Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), a subsidiary company of MSC, is expected to bring significant opportunities to the Port. Based on public comments made by TIL, it appears intermodal rail will be a significant focus of the project. Taking advantage of the new CSX Howard St. Tunnel project that will make Baltimore the closest, fastest US East Coast port to serve Chicago and the Midwest. It is realistic to think that some cargo volumes will be shifting because of this terminal coming online, not only locally, but also regionally. The new container facility as well as the new double stack rail capability will change the dynamic of container shipping on the US East Coast and have positive impacts on the Port of Baltimore.”
Port of Baltimore’s Cargo Diversity
Greco said the Port of Baltimore’s cargo diversity is a strong point and helps differentiate it from its primary competitors in Norfolk, Virginia and New York/New Jersey.
“The port continues to have a very robust auto Ro/Ro commodity sector that is not emulated in either NY/NJ or Norfolk. Container business at Seagirt Marine Terminal, with Ports America Chesapeake, continues to be a bright spot with new investments underway with a grain facility to boost exports,” he said. “Seagirt productivity and efficiency are some of the highest levels they have been. In addition, the port continues to have a strong bulk and break-bulk commodity sectors while cruise vessels continue to call year-round with a strong market base to support them. The Baltimore, Washington, Northern Virginia region remains the third largest metro area in the U.S., and obviously the Port of Baltimore is best positioned to serve this market. The diversity of the port and its strong, unique market continue to differentiate the Port of Baltimore from competing ports.”
And Greco believes labor relations are now Baltimore’s strong point.
“Management-labor relations at the port are at a very good place. The STA is working closely with Scott Cowan, ILA-ACD Vice President and President of ILA Local 333 as well as other ILA leadership on a regular basis. There is an overall alignment on efforts to make the port a safe, efficient and attractive location for carriers and shippers to take advantage of and grow cargo. This was not always the case in Baltimore, and we are committed to continuing to work with the ILA to ensure overall progress in the port,” he said.
As far as maintaining the current growth and sharpening efficiency, Greco said the STA is moving toward more technology improvements.
“We have invested heavily in our Magnus dispatch system with improvements associated with transitioning the ILA dispatch experience to mobile devise for improved performance and efficiency,” he said. “IT improvements also include strengthening our cyber security position from a hardware, training and policy standpoint, as well as transitioning legacy systems to cloud based servers. We also continue to have a strong focus on safety and training, in coordination with USMX, to make our work environment as safe as possible.”
MPA’s Long-Range View
The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) is now preparing its long-range strategic plan in an effort to build on the current projects and chart a course for the next generation. Richard Scher, Director of Communications for the MPA, said the plan will reflect the vision of the Port community.
“Right now, we are finishing a strategic plan that will serve as a roadmap for our larger master vision plan. It will look at everything from growing our focused targeted commodities such as containers, autos, forest products, roll on/roll off, and breakbulk, to increasing our land and storage, to being a good environmental steward,” Scher said. “It’s taking a look at how we want to grow as a port and properly adjust to the changes in our industry that will allow us to continue to accomplish our mission of bringing cargo through the Port of Baltimore and generating additional jobs for our state.”
Dredging is crucial to the future of the Port of Baltimore and should be a big part of the strategic plan, said Frank J. Olszewski III, President of Beacon Stevedoring Corp., a non-union division of Rukert Terminals Corp.
“At Rukert, we cannot overemphasize the importance of dredging. It is critical for Baltimore to maintain its 50-foot channel and develop new dredge disposal facilities that can reliably service the public and privately terminals while ultimately delivering a positive environmental impact,” he said. “We have full confidence in (MPA) Executive Director Jonathan Daniels and his leadership team as they plan for the future of the Port of Baltimore.”
Rukert is reinvesting in state-of-the-art equipment, Olszewski said.
“Rukert’s conservative principals and philosophy of reinvestment provide the flexibility to expand our capabilities as needed. A recent example of this commitment is the new Kobelco 275-ton crawler crane just purchased to support ongoing wind energy projects. Having the vision to reshape and reimagine our business as cargo and customers evolve will always be an important key to success, and the commitment to reinvestment will always help Rukert stand out from the rest,” he said. “Rukert’s cargo handling diversity: bulk, forest products, steels, metals, and projects, has been very important over the past year because we continue to see hesitation from shippers navigating the impact of tariffs and the war in the Middle East. While temporary windows of clarity are keeping some of these cargoes moving, it appears that the market is waiting for greater stability before returning to more normal trading patterns.”
