Not even one year since the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge from the cargo ship Dali crashing into it, costing six men their lives, the Port of Baltimore has reached a milestone in its recovery.
Gov. Wes Moore announced that the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s state-owned public and private marine terminals handled 45.9 million tons of cargo in 2024. This makes 2024 the second-best year ever after 2023, when the port handled a record 52.3 million tons. More than 25.5 of the nearly 46 million tons of cargo handled in 2024 were handled during the second half of the year. The total cargo handled was valued at $62.2 billion, which ranks third largest in the Port’s history.
“The Port of Baltimore is one of the top ports in the nation and one of Maryland’s leading economic generators,” Moore said. “These numbers reveal the hard work happening at the Port to finish the year strong, despite a challenging start. We are especially grateful to our Port’s workers, whose indomitable spirit and dedication brought us to this moment. Our administration will continue to promote our great port with infrastructure investments that will help grow business and create additional jobs.”
The Port of Baltimore handled the most roll on/roll off farm and construction machinery of any U.S. port: 848,648 tons. Baltimore also handled more imported forest products and gypsum — a versatile mineral used for binding in many products, like toothpaste and drywall.
The Port handled 749,799 cars and light trucks, ranking second nationally for 2024, and it ranked second for salt and exported coal. Overall, the Port of Baltimore finished 10th in the U.S. for total cargo handled and 11th for dollar value among the U.S. ports.
“The Port of Baltimore is a powerful economic engine for all of Maryland that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs,” said Paul J. Wiedefeld, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary. “While there is more work ahead in the Port’s recovery, these cargo numbers set the foundation for growth and a stronger year ahead.”
“We had a solid year in 2024 and are now fully focused on making 2025 even better,” said Jonathan Daniels, Maryland Port Administration Executive Director. “Our terminal operators, private facilities, outstanding International Longshoremen’s Association labor, and incredible supply chain partners are primed and ready to make 2025 a very successful year.”
Other significant 2024 achievements for the Port of Baltimore included launching launch of double-stacked containers on rail to and from the port as part of the Howard Street Tunnel Project; a new five-year contract with Carnival Cruise Line keeping the cruise provider here in Baltimore; and receiving a top U.S. Coast Guard security assessment for its six state-owned marine terminals.
