Port of Baltimore public terminals post record year for cargo in 2012

The Port of Baltimore’s public marine terminals reported a record year in 2012, driven by strong automotive numbers and shipments of heavy machinery.

The port’s public terminals saw 9.59 million tons of cargo cross their docks last year, up from 8.88 million in 2011, the Maryland Port Administration reported Wednesday. The previous record was 8.96 million tons in 2008.

In all, the Port of Baltimore’s state-owned public terminals saw container business rise 7 percent to 6.29 million tons,…