New $1B container terminal could reshape Baltimore shipping landscape

A $1 billion private container terminal breaking ground at Sparrows Point is being cast by officials and supply chain experts as a long-term bet on whether the Port of Baltimore can expand its role in an increasingly competitive East Coast shipping network.

The project at the Port of Baltimore is expected to expand container capacity by roughly 70%, adding two new berths and modern crane systems designed to handle larger cargo vessels. It comes as the port works to regain momentum following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, which temporarily shut down the main shipping channel and disrupted supply chains across the region.

Tinglong Dai, a supply chain expert at Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School, said the expansion represents a structural shift rather than incremental growth. "This is an important moment, a milestone," he said. "It's not just an expansion to the port. It's really developing the status of the Port of Baltimore."

Dai noted that Baltimore remains significantly smaller than larger East Coast hubs such as New York–New Jersey but argued its proximity to industrial markets in the Midwest gives it a persistent logistical advantage.

Baltimore has carved out a niche in specialized cargo, particularly automobiles and roll-on/roll-off freight, even as it trails larger ports in overall container volume. Officials and industry leaders say the new terminal is designed to strengthen that position while attracting additional shipping traffic as global supply chains shift toward larger vessels and more concentrated East Coast entry points.

Capacity equals cargo, cargo equals jobs

The project, a joint endeavor of Tradepoint Atlantic and Terminal Investment Limited, a subsidiary of shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Co., secured federal permitting approval in December, clearing the way for work to begin on the 168-acre private container terminal at Coke Point.

The container terminal will include two new berths to accommodate larger cargo vessels, as well as seven Irish-built ship-to-shore cranes and other equipment to handle cargo. Developers say the first berth is expected to open in 2028, with full operations targeted for 2029.

"I see capacity. Capacity equals cargo, cargo equals jobs," said Scott Cowan, president of International Longshoremen's Association Local 333, who called the expansion a "renaissance" for the region's maritime workforce.

State and federal officials have backed the effort with nearly $90 million in state investment and additional federal freight infrastructure funding. Over the next decade, developers project more than $1 billion in economic impact and roughly 8,000 jobs tied to construction, logistics and port operations.

This year, Tradepoint officials expect to complete the first dredging cycle to widen and deepen the existing channel at Sparrows Point to accommodate larger cargo ships, as well as complete construction of its dredged material containment facility.

‘They're short-sighted and they don't understand'

Both economists and business owners say more capacity has been long needed.

"For those in the industry that say that there is enough capacity, they're wrong - they're short-sighted, and they don't understand the investment needed in the future of the supply chain," said Amar Kanaan, CEO of Terminal Investment Limited.

In 2025, the Port of Baltimore handled about 50 million tons of cargo at its state-owned and private marine terminals, marking the port's second-best year on record.

However, officials have acknowledged that operations haven't fully rebounded following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, which fell after the container ship Dali lost power and struck a support pier. The collapse killed six road workers and blocked the main shipping channel for weeks.

"This is going to push the port to a different level," Dai explained. "Right now, we are about 10% to 12% of [the size] of New York's port. Far smaller. We needed aggressive investment."

With the expansion, the Port of Baltimore will significantly move up in size, rising to be one of the top five in the nation, Dai added.

Over the next decade, the project is projected to add more than $1 billion in economic impact and create more than 8,000 jobs, including 1,100 new union jobs, according to a 2024 report released by Tradepoint.

Dai said the impact could extend well beyond the waterfront. "With new jobs comes the need for housing," he said. "You're also going to see new businesses come up. By sparking development, it will help build the middle class in the city and surrounding areas."

Del. Ric Metzgar, a Republican who represents southeastern Baltimore County, told The Baltimore Sun he was excited at the potential for growth across the region.

"When you spend tax dollars in your community, it's just reinvestment all over again," he said. "With that said, that means better schools, families coming back together - it means great things happen when everybody works together."

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 2:15 PM.