EnThe Port of Baltimore has taken delivery of six new wheeled container handling cranes, adding to the 16 already in service. The increased efficiency in offloading vessels should help further increase port handling. Panjiva data shows that incoming handling hit a new record in January after climbing 10.9% for the 12 months to January 31 on a year earlier, and by 10.2% annually for the past three years.
Source: Panjiva
The port has seen two major phases of growth recently in terms of supplier countries. Growth in 2015 came from direct China deliveries, which expanded by 27.9% in 2015 vs. 2014, but fell 10.0% in the past 12 months. That’s partly reflected a surge in shipments via the Panama Canal after its widening, with handling of capacity via Panama having increased 4.6x in the 12 months after its opening to the past year. That makes it the major northeast beneficiary from the expansion, with much of the growth otherwise going to southeast ports, as outlined in Panjiva research of December 11.
Source: Panjiva
The largest container line utilizing the port in the past 12 months has been MSC, which took a 33.2% share of incoming containers. However, its operations are relatively mature, having expanded by just 2.5% in the past year. The faster growing liners have been number two Evergreen (10.8% higher) and third placed Maersk (20.9% above a a year earlier).
Source: Panjiva
The increased capacity may give more room for further competition. Maersk’s integration with Hamburg Sud will round out its handling portfolio and put it ahead of Evergreen. The major operators with regional specializations so far have been Grimaldi’s ACL (out of northern Europe) and Hapag-Lloyd (from north Europe and central America).
Source: Panjiva
