Annapolis, MD —Governor Wes Moore today announced that the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore handled approximately 50 million tons of cargo in 2025 at its state-owned public and private marine terminals—making it the Port’s second-best year ever. The accomplishment continues to reveal the Port’s resilience and comes as the Port and surrounding communities continue to recover from the devastation of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
“Once again, Maryland’s Port of Baltimore proves it is one of our nation’s top economic assets as it continues to rebound from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024,” said Gov. Moore. “Cargo that comes through the Port of Baltimore reaches points across the country, and all over our world, including Europe, Africa, and Asia. With an annual economic value of $70 billion and more than 273,000 jobs in Maryland tied to the Port, our state is stronger by a successful Port of Baltimore. I am especially grateful to our incredible longshoremen and women who are critical to the Port—and Maryland.”
The total cargo handled last year had a value of $65.6 billion—the third-highest value in the Port’s history. The 2025 total exceeded Baltimore’s 45.9 million tons of cargo handled in 2024, finishing only behind 2023’s record of 52.3 million tons. And the Port’s performance in 2024 and 2025 may have been even greater if the bridge had not been destroyed by the Dali’s recklessness.
Superlatives include:
- The Port’s public terminals, which are managed by the Maryland Port Administration, handled 887,513 tons of roll on/roll off farm and construction equipment in 2025—a 6% increase over 2024 and the highest again among all U.S. ports.
- Of the Port’s 50 million tons of total cargo, about 11.1 million tons of autos, farm and construction machinery, containers, forest products, and breakbulk crossed the public terminals—the third-largest amount in the Port’s history.
- The Port of Baltimore also handled 1.1 million tons of forest products (rolled paper and wood pulp)—first among all ports in America.
- The Port of Baltimore handled 728,225 autos and light trucks in 2025—second overall in the U.S. and the 13th consecutive year exceeding 700,000.
- The Port also finished second for exported coal and imported aluminum, gypsum, salt and sugar.
- Overall, Baltimore finished 10th among all U.S. ports for foreign cargo value ($65.6 billion) and 11th for foreign cargo tonnage (49,983,622 tons).
“The Port of Baltimore is a powerhouse in expeditiously handling cargo and with the completion of the Howard Street Tunnel Project this year—which will allow for double stacked rail cargo—the Port will have additional capacity to move goods,” said Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson. “Thank you to our great longshoremen and women who ensure cargo at the Port of Baltimore moves through Maryland.”
As previously announced, the Port of Baltimore set new records in 2025 for containers and total cargo ship visits. Baltimore also handled 1.1 million twenty-foot containers and 2,223 vessels last year—a 21% increase over 2024—while increasing its weekly container services from 12 in 2024 to 15 in 2025.
“We’re pleased with our year in 2025, but we have bigger things to come,” said Maryland Port Administration Executive Director Jonathan Daniels. “I want to credit our fantastic supply chain, including our International Longshoremen’s Association, truckers, terminal operators, pilots, tugs and freight forwarders. It takes a team and we’ve got a great one at the Port of Baltimore.”
The Port of Baltimore’s container business will be enhanced in 2026 with the completion of the $518 million CSX Howard Street Tunnel Project. The project includes modernizing the 130-year-old Baltimore freight tunnel and making clearance adjustments at 22 points between Baltimore and Philadelphia, allowing for double-stacked container trains to travel to and from the Port. The project is expected to increase the Port’s business by approximately 160,000 containers annually and generate nearly 14,000 jobs. The ability to handle double-stacked trains will also increase the Port’s competitiveness among other East Coast ports and the valuable containerized shipping market.
“Working closely with the Maryland Port Administration, we increased our container business last year and set new records for containers and ship calls at Seagirt Terminal,” said Ports America Chesapeake President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Schmidt. “With the Howard Street Tunnel Project nearing full completion and Ports America Chesapeake’s strong financial commitments to improving Seagirt, the future of container shipping at the Port of Baltimore has never been brighter.”
“A good year for the Port of Baltimore is a good year for the men and women of the International Longshoremen’s Association,” said ILA Local 333 President Scott Cowan. “It’s important to do everything we can and pull out all the stops to continue to ensure that our longshore workers have all the opportunities they can for work.”
In addition to its cargo business, the Port of Baltimore has evolved into one of the most popular cruise ports in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. In 2025, 413,639 passengers took a cruise from Baltimore, ranking in the top 10 of passenger counts in the Port’s cruise history.
