Port of Baltimore ups cargo throughput in Q1

The mid-Atlantic port handled 2.56 million tons of general cargo during the first quarter of 2017, up 5 percent year-over-year, primarily due to an increase in car and container volumes.    The Port of Baltimore handled 2.56 million tons of general cargo during the first quarter of 2017, up 5 percent year-over-year and a record amount for the first quarter.
   The increase was primarily fueled by car and container throughput, which rose 6 percent and 8 percent, respectively, from the same 2016 period, according to the Maryland Port Administration (MPA).
   The Port of Baltimore has handled more cars than any other U.S. port for six consecutive years, and has seen larger than normal container growth in the past year as bigger ships are bringing more cargo to Maryland, MPA said.
    According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting’s Port Dashboard tool, the Port of Baltimore is called by 28 liner services, including 17 that deploy pure car/truck carriers or roll-on/roll off vessels, seven that deploy fully cellular containerships, three that deploy container-roll-on/roll-off (ConRo) vessels, and one that deploys multipurpose vessels.