Page 8 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 1 - 2023

PORT MESSAGES
GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE
Port Is Crucial to Maryland’s Prosperous Future
Iam happy to write to you for the first time today and
am honored to serve as Governor of the great State of Maryland. We have a lot of work ahead and we want to seize every opportunity —so we have hit the ground running and are taking historic action right out of the gate.
In our first month, we put major investment into the future of Maryland. I signed my first executive orders, releasing $69 million in previously withheld funding and establishing the Department of Service and Civic Innovation — which will steward a revolutionary option for graduating high schoolers to serve their communities. We also announced record investments in education and transportation that will help Marylanders across the state.
One special factor that will help move Maryland forward is the Port of Baltimore. The Port is one of the most productive in the nation, with nearly 140,000 jobs linked
to Port activities. It ranks first among the nation’s ports for volume of autos and light trucks, roll-on/roll-off heavy farm and construction machinery and imported gypsum. It ranks ninth for total foreign cargo value and 11th among major U.S. ports for foreign cargo handled. And Baltimore is the first U.S. port of call to expand e-commerce service through ZIM
EXECUTIVE VIEW
Shipping Lines — which we announced recently.
When one of the leading container shipping companies in the world increases its business here, it’s a reflection of
the maritime industry’s strong confidence in both Maryland’s Port and Maryland’s workers. With more than 15,000 direct jobs, the Port of Baltimore is one of Maryland’s top economic engines and the home of one of the best labor unions in
the country —the men and women of the International Longshoremen’s Association.
Under the leadership of Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld, we will continue to promote the Port’s reputation for excellent service from a dedicated workforce, to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure and logistics, and to expand economic opportunities both here and abroad.
This will be Maryland’s decade, and we’re going to make it so by creating a more competitive and equitable home for everyone. So, we are going to act boldly, move in partnership, and commit to working together to create a more prosperous future for all Marylanders.
Wes Moore, Governor
Stakeholder Cooperation Sets
Port on Course for Success in 2023
I’m pleased to present this first issue of the Port of Baltimore Magazine with our new Governor Wes Moore and our new Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul
J. Wiedefeld. I’m looking forward to working very closely with them to increase our cargo business, generate more jobs, work with local communities, and reduce our carbon footprint through our many wonderful environmental initiatives and programs.
Gov. Moore already got off to a quick start with the Port of Baltimore by announcing that ZIM Shipping Lines would increase their Port of Baltimore service frequency from bi-weekly to weekly and would also increase the size of their ships coming here by 50%. ZIM’s E-Commerce Baltimore Express has been a big success and complements our strong e-commerce abilities and supply chain network.
We have also been full steam ahead on projects that will provide long-lasting benefits:
• Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration – Now underway with our partners at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, our latest coastal restoration initiative will restore island habitat at James and Barren islands and protect the Dorchester County shoreline using dredged sediment from our shipping channels.
• Dundalk Ro/Ro Berths – Baltimore handles more roll-on/ roll-off (ro/ro) cargo than any other U.S. port. In fact, last year we established a new record by importing 765,019 tons of farm and construction machinery. We are refurbishing and strengthening our berths to be able to accommodate the increasing sizes of ro/ro equipment and to better serve our valued customers.
Last year, we handled a record $74.3 billion worth of cargo and established new records for general cargo tons at the state-owned public terminals, imported Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) containers and imported paper. Our combined public and private terminals also handled the most cars and light trucks among all U.S. ports for the 12th consecutive year.
Our success is due to our all-hands-on-deck Port and supply chain team. Our Port stakeholder cooperation is unmatched — including our private marine terminals, our great International Longshoremen’s Association, and our superb truckers, pilots, tugs, freight forwarders and terminal operators. I’m so proud to work with all of you and I look forward to even better things in 2023.
William P. Doyle, Executive Director
[6] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 1 / 2023