Guest feature: Matthew Scales is the Public Affairs Officer for the Maryland Port Administration. Follow along with the Port on Facebook and Twitter.

Big things are happening at the Port of Baltimore.
The Maryland Department of Transportation Port Administration (MPA) recently welcomed Evergreen's Ever Lambent, the first container ship to sail to Baltimore through the newly-expanded Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal underwent a $5 billion expansion to make the canal 180 feet wider and 60 feet deeper. As a result, we hope to see larger ships from the Far East travel into Baltimore.

What does this mean for Maryland?
This expansion has the potential to create more jobs and more business, which translates to more economic revenue for the state.

The Port of Baltimore is one of four East Coast ports capable of accommodating the largest ships with 11 container cranes, four of which are super-Panamax cranes, along with a 50-foot deep channel. As one of the most efficient ports in the country, the Port of Baltimore averages 75 container moves per hour per berth. These infrastructure efforts are in large part due to a public-private partnership established in 2013 between Ports America Chesapeake and the Maryland Port Administration.

The Port of Baltimore has established business relationships with the top shipping lines in the world – Maersk, MSC and Evergreen. Some of the top cargo handled by the Port includes furniture, tires, coffee, footwear, and sporting goods.

With direct rail access, terminal gate efficiencies, millions of warehouse space and a convenient location near the East Coast's "main street," Interstate-95, Baltimore is ready to handle more business.

In 2015, the Port of Baltimore handled more than 32 million tons of international cargo, with an estimated worth of $51 billion. MPA's goal is to not only grow the Port's business, but have a positive impact on the State of Maryland, its businesses and its customers. Learn more on mpa.maryland.gov.