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Booming Port of Baltimore Registers Best Quarter This Year

Port of Baltimore website

BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland officials say business is booming at the state-owned port in Baltimore.

Officials say the 312-year-old Port of Baltimore had its best quarter ever this year, with a record amount of general cargo and containers making their way through public marine terminals.

Officials say 2,765,247 tons of general cargo crossed the public piers during the first three months of 2018, an eight percent increase over last year's first quarter.

The port also handled 156,991 containers, a 14 percent increase over the first quarter of 2017.

Overall last year, the port handled 38.4 million tons of cargo, the most since 1979 and third-highest tonnage in its history.

Among the nation's ports, Baltimore ranks first for automobiles and light trucks, roll on/roll off heavy farm and construction machinery, and imported sugar.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.