Baltimore's Foreign Trade Zone has been ranked the fourth best port-related foreign trade zone in the world by fDi Magazine, which is produced by The Financial Times.

The magazine analyzed 700 economic zones and — using criteria such as economic potential, promotional strategy, facilities and transportation — ranked Baltimore fourth under the "Best Port Zone" category for 2010-2011, following the zones of Shanghai, Tangier, Morocco and Jacksonville, Fla. Of the remaining U.S. port zones on the top 10 list, the Foreign Trade Zone of Los Angeles ranked eighth.

According to the Baltimore Development Corp., which manages the trade zone, the site has 13 operators using more than 3 million square feet of space. During the 2009 fiscal year, its imported goods were valued at $1.7 billion, with automobiles, aluminum and alcohol being among its highest-value commodities.

The zone also served 82 businesses and had a total employment of nearly 1,000.