Cargo handled by the port of Baltimore's public terminals dropped slightly during the first quarter of the year, and port officials cautioned that last year's significant growth would taper off.
General cargo moving through the five marine terminals in Baltimore declined to 1,576,189 short tons, or less than 1 percent lower than the 1,588,854 short tons during the first three months of 1994, according to a report released yesterday by the Maryland Port Administration.
The quarterly decline was attributed largely to a 67 percent plunge in steel.
Last year, the port of Baltimore benefited as the United States imported a record 30.1 million tons of steel. In addition, much of the steel that normally moves through ports in the Great Lakes was diverted to Baltimore last year because of severe winter weather.
The decrease during the first three months of 1995 was the first quarterly drop in more than two and a half years. But the volume of cargo was still one of the highest since the MPA began compiling quarterly statistics nearly a decade ago.
Port officials yesterday predicted a steady growth for the remainder of 1995, though far short of the 17 percent boom in cargo the port experienced during 1994.
"Everything came together in 1994," said Morgan "Trip" Bailey, the MPA's director of marketing, who cited both a booming world economy and improvements at the port as reasons.
But he cautioned that a slowing economy and a weaker dollar will make it difficult to continue the growth the port has experienced during the past three years.
In addition, competition among East Coast ports for cargo will be intense as the shipping industry continues to consolidate and the number of ships calling ports dwindles.
For the first quarter of 1995, the volume of cargo rose in most categories other than steel.
Container tonnage at the port increased 6.5 percent, from 1,085,172 short tons to 1,155,380 short tons. Break-bulk cargo, such as farm and construction equipment and wood pulp, increased 13.6 percent to 288,075 short tons, an increase of 34,579 over the first quarter of 1994.
The tonnage on automobiles decreased 1 percent to 73,758 short tons, compared to 74,526 during the same period last year. But port officials said vehicles were somewhat lighter and the actual number of cars and trucks handled actually increased.
