Page 8 - Port of Baltimore - May/June 2017

PORT MESSAGES
GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE
MDOT Invests in Port of Baltimore’s Future
As one of four U.S. East Coast ports with the extensive infrastructure to accommodate the ever-increasing massive container ships that travel our oceans today, the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is Open for Business!
The Maryland Department of Transportation recently made a significant investment in the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) by purchasing 70 acres of land behind the Port of Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal. This represents the first significant land acquisition for cargo opportunities by the MPA in 30 years.
The land will be used for the expansion of the Port’s container business now and in the future. With the purchase of additional land, the Port will have more ability to handle the increased economic activity and will
EXECUTIVE VIEW
generate approximately 1,650 new job opportunities for Maryland citizens.
There’s also more great news to report. In 2016, the Port of Baltimore handled a record 538,567 containers. The Port also got off to a fast start in 2017 by posting a record first quarter with 2,560,065 tons of general cargo. And, the Port was recently named the most productive port in the U.S.
for the third consecutive time in an independent analysis conducted by the Journal of Commerce.
The Port is well on its way to having another record- setting year. Our administration remains fully committed to the future of the Port and ensuring that it remains one of our state’s leading economic generators.
Larry Hogan, Governor
Successful Partnership Helps Port of Baltimore Set More Container Records
T he past year has been a rewarding year for the Port of Baltimore’s container business. In July
2016, we welcomed our first big container ship to travel through the newly enhanced Panama Canal. This complemented the excellent news
that Baltimore would be receiving ships from two of the three newly formed major international container alliances. The past 12 months also included new records for containers handled.
When we initiated our partnership with Ports America Chesapeake in 2010, it did more than just provide us with a 50-foot deep berth and state-of-the-art, Neo-Panamax cranes. It sent a strong message to ocean carriers and cargo owners around the world that the Port of Baltimore was one of only a few U.S. East Coast ports that could accommodate today’s massive ships RIGHT NOW.
Our abilities as a container port played a big part in the decision of two of the three newly formed international container shipping alliances to include Baltimore in their rotations. That was huge news. As the container industry
continues to evolve and we all witness some of the biggest changes to that industry ever, it is no small accomplishment.
We have recently also seen a new record set for containers handled in one calendar year, along with a very strong start to 2017. Containers at the Port of Baltimore
are currently up 9 percent over the same time period
last year. Usually, we experience 3 to 4 percent growth. Complementing that strong performance, we were recently honored for the third consecutive time as being the most efficient container port in the U.S.
All of these achievements are excellent, but NONE would have been realized without the work of the best ILA labor force in the nation. Our longshore workers are without equal. We can give them the tools to succeed, but they are the ones who execute. I congratulate and thank the men and women who helped make these successes happen.
James J. White, Executive Director Maryland Port Administration
[6] The Port of Baltimore ■ May/June 2017