APM transferring Baltimore terminal to Ports America

APM transferring Baltimore terminal to Ports America APM Terminals, an arm of the A.P. Moller-Maersk group, said its Universal Maritime Service Corp. subsidiary has initiated the process to transfer the operations at the Dundalk Marine Terminal in Baltimore to Ports America Inc.
   Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Maryland Port Administration said the company’s lease on the property was due to run out at the end of 2007 anyway.
   Ports America is the company formed by insurer AIG to buy the North American operations of Dubai-based Dubai Ports World. Ports America also operates the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore.
   APM is one of four companies operating at Dundalk. The others are Marine Terminals Corp., Ceres and Tartan.
   “In evaluating the operations of this specific location, it was determined for business reasons to transfer these operations to another container terminal operator,” said Glenn Eddy, senior vice president, APM Terminals North America. “We believe this action will continue to provide our current customers with competitive rates and consistent services.”
   APM, which is opening a major new container terminal in Norfolk later this month, has no oceangoing ships that call Baltimore, but does have a barge service.
   The Port of Baltimore said APM also has these companies as customers: APL, Shipping Co of India, United Arab Shipping, Yang Ming, NYK, MOL, Hanjin, Hamburg/Sud, Hyundai and OOCL.
   Eddy said the operations of other Maersk affiliates — Bridge Terminal Transport, Maersk Equipment Service Co. Inc. and Maersk Line intermodal — that were co-located at Dundalk, will continue in Baltimore, APM said.
   Ports America is expected to assume the container terminal operations of UMS at Dundalk in the near future.