Page 32 - Port of Baltimroe Magazine - Jan Feb 2012

Chrysler, one of the major exporters
from the Port of Baltimore, has recorded
significant increases in vehicle numbers.
"AMPORTS is working a second shift to
keep pace with the demand for Chrysler
exports," said Steven E. Rand, President
& CEO of AMPORTS, Inc., a premier
auto processing company. "They are
exceeding our expectations for throughput.
However, we have made significant facility
improvements which have enabled us to
meet the volume demand."
Ford’s Crown Victoria and Mercury
Marquis, as well as other models, are
immensely popular cars in the Middle East;
these autos are shipped from Ford’s plants
to Baltimore and then head to markets
overseas, where a weaker dollar makes
them even more popular. Ford beat its
projected number of vehicle exports from
Baltimore before the third quarter.
NYK Lines, whose vessels call the Port
twice monthly bound for the Middle East,
recently loaded nearly 3,300 vehicles for
export in one call. During the month of
December, volumes were so high that NYK
had to make four calls in Baltimore rather
than its usual two.
It is not just American automakers
that are leveraging the weaker dollar in
the overseas market, according to MPA’s
Johnson. Toyota manufactures its Sienna
and Avalon models in Georgetown, Ken., and
exports them through Baltimore.
Subaru North America uses Baltimore
as its only port on the East Coast. Port
Operations Manager Jonathan Smith said
that the Japanese automaker has seen
growth at the Port of Baltimore in each of
the past three years in spite of the economic
downturn. “Our export model is the Tribeca,”
Smith said. “The exports come from our U.S.
plant in Lafayette, Ind., and are shipped to
ports in Europe, Africa, Latin America and
the Middle East.”
Another vibrant sector in auto exports is
the Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) market.
This is the exportation of used cars, which
are often bought at auction and shipped
overseas to used car dealers in West Africa.
POVs account for a significant number of
exports from Baltimore.
On the import side, Baltimore’s location
is once again a huge selling point. The port
is within 24 hours of delivering vehicles to
two-thirds of American consumers.
“The location is best for our trucking of
vehicles to our dealerships on the East
Coast,” Smith said.
“We are seeing the auto industry begin its
recovery and we are seeing the benefits of that.”
Larry Johnson, Maryland Port Administration (MPA) Auto Trade Development
Subaru North America uses Baltimore as its only East Coast port.
[30] The Port of Baltimore ■ January/February 2012 To subscribe or renew, visitwww.marylandports.com