(July 21, 2020) BALTIMORE, Md.  —  Volkswagen Group of America and Tradepoint Atlantic today celebrated the first day of operations at the Tradepoint Atlantic terminal at the Port of Baltimore, Volkswagen's newest port in the U.S. The port, which will serve roughly 302 dealers in the mid-Atlantic region, marks an approximately $150 million investment in the Baltimore-area and the creation of about 100 new jobs.

Volkswagen port operations were made official with the arrival of the first vehicle transport vessel, Bishu Highway, delivering 797 vehicles from Europe. Volkswagen, Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley vehicles will be imported and processed at the port.

The combination of a direct connection to the national rail network and easy access to major highways will lead to enhanced customer service and faster vehicle delivery times for dealerships throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Tradepoint Atlantic Terminal is Volkswagen's eighth port in the U.S., which includes locations in Benicia, Calif., Davisville, R.I, Houston, Texas, Jacksonville, Fla, Midlothian, Texas, San Diego, Calif., and the Volkswagen Assembly Plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.

“Not only does this new port facility reinforce our commitment to the U.S. market by adding to our existing footprint and the jobs that come with it, but it represents a smart business decision as well,” said Anu Goel, executive vice president, Group After Sales & Services, Volkswagen. “This strategic location can help us with the goals of getting vehicles to our Mid-Atlantic dealers faster and with lower total cost.”



This announcement represents Volkswagen’s commitment to sustainability through the adaptive reuse of a former industrial brownfield site, which was once home to one of the largest integrated steel mills in the United States. The site will also help decrease the distance needed to deliver vehicles to dealers in the mid-Atlantic region, which in turn helps reduce carbon emissions associated with these vehicle deliveries. This is a key building block in Volkswagen Group’s global strategy to become carbon neutral across its business by 2050.

Under the terms of the 20-year lease agreement with Tradepoint Atlantic, Volkswagen’s vehicle import and processing facility will encompass more than 4 million square feet (115 acres) at Tradepoint Atlantic’s Terminal, a 3,300-acre multimodal global logistics center. The port will be responsible for the import of approximately 120,000 vehicles per year from European and Mexican production facilities, with increased volumes expected over time.

“Today Tradepoint Atlantic is achieving another milestone moment in the re-birth of this iconic site and the continued growth of vehicle import logistics at the Port of Baltimore,” said Kerry Doyle, managing director for Tradepoint Atlantic. ”The combination of Volkswagen’s state of the art staging and processing facility and our multi-modal connectivity to key east coast markets is the next step in realizing the full and future potential of Tradepoint Atlantic. We celebrate and welcome Volkswagen to the Port of Baltimore and look forward to many years of growth and continued success.”

In addition to approximately 100 new, full-time jobs, port operations for the new VWGoA facility are anticipated to support and increase jobs in related fields through increased trucking volume, rail volume, vessel unloading volume, vessel pilots, and more.