The port of Baltimore handled 2.4 million tons of general cargo, setting a first-quarter record in the first three months of 2016, officials said Thursday.
The previous record of 2.3 million tons was set in the first quarter of 2012.
With a 7 percent market share increase in cars and other wheeled cargo, the Baltimore port now handles more than half such roll-on/roll-off cargo in the nation, the Maryland Port Administration said. In autos alone, Baltimore has been the nation's largest port for five straight years, now handling more than 20 percent of the cars shipped through U.S. ports.
The port also saw stronger growth in containers than any other Mid-Atlantic port, which officials credited to contracts signed last year with shipping giants Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. as well as the harbor's 50-foot-deep channel and equipment
"The Port of Baltimore has had a record-breaking start to 2016 following a very successful 2015," Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. "As one of Maryland's top economic generators, my administration will continue to work closely with Port officials to ensure this growing seaport continues to thrive."
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