In its recent October report, the port of Baltimore reported significant increases in cargo volumes compared with the lows experienced during the height of the pandemic earlier this year.
The Helen Delich Bentley port of Baltimore – owned by Maryland Port Administration – said that general cargo, containers, ro-ro cargoes, as well as automobiles and light trucks all saw significant increases compared with low points experienced during May and June 2020.
The ports’ October 2020 figures for containers represent a 10.5 percent increase compared to October 2019, which the port said is the first year-on-year gain in this category since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. General cargo volumes increased by 5.6 percent compared to October 2019.
General cargo, containers and ro-ro cargoes posted double-digit improvements of 34.6, 28.1, and 14.6 percent respectively, compared to their lowest volumes earlier in 2020.
William P. Doyle, executive director at MDOT Maryland Port Administration, added: “E-commerce is playing a big role in our container gains…during the pandemic, consumers have been making more purchases online. While it is good news that we are seeing cargo increases, we are still dealing with Covid-19 and that continues to make this a very unpredictable maritime trade environment.”
