New grain transload facility opens in US to boost Mid-Atlantic agricultural exports
The project provides a full-service grain elevator capable of loading more than 200 containers per week, with an annual export capacity of approximately 275,000 tonnes.
USA – A new specialized grain transloading facility has officially opened at the Seagirt Marine Terminal within the Port of Baltimore, transforming regional agricultural logistics across the Mid-Atlantic.
Developed through a strategic partnership between terminal operator Ports America Chesapeake and ag-logistics provider Frey Commodities, the four-acre site provides direct port access for local farmers exporting soybeans, corn, and wheat to overseas markets.
The state-of-the-art facility features three storage silos with a combined capacity of 60,000 bushels, alongside automated conveyor handling systems and dedicated access for both trucks and railcars.
Designed to function as a full-service containerized export terminal, the operation possesses the processing capacity to load more than 200 shipping containers per week.
This provides a streamlined outlet for agricultural producers across Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania seeking direct access to expanding global grain markets.
Shortline rail access to CSX and Norfolk Southern Corp. will enhance export connectivity through the Port of Baltimore for grain farmers in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania, and soybean crush facilities in the US Midwest, Frey said.
Commodities to be handled by the facility include soybeans, corn, wheat, sorghum, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).
The first 200 containers are expected to move through the facility in September, according to Ports America.
Before the opening of this direct transload complex, regional producers faced a multi-step supply chain.
Farmers had to transport loose grain to offsite locations where it was loaded into empty shipping containers before being drayed back into the port terminal.
Under the streamlined operational model, farm trucks deliver grain directly to Seagirt Marine Terminal, where high-speed conveyors transfer the crop into storage silos until it is ready to be loaded into export containers.
State agriculture and transportation officials praised the project for modernizing port capabilities while supporting farm families.
By eliminating offsite container stuffing and redundant truck movements, the facility significantly lowers freight and handling costs for producers, reduces carbon emissions from heavy truck traffic, and improves the overall competitive positioning of regional crops in international trade.
Mark Schmidt, President of Ports America Chesapeake, emphasized that direct delivery to the terminal eliminates operational complexity and enhances supply chain resiliency.
Maryland Department of Agriculture leadership echoed those sentiments, pointing out that expanded containerized export infrastructure ensures Mid-Atlantic growers remain cost-competitive in the global marketplace as demand for high-quality North American grains continues to grow.
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