BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A record year for the city’s seaport.

The Port of Baltimore handled more cars and machinery in 2012 than any other U.S. port.

In total, the port’s public and private marine terminals saw 36.8 million tons of cargo cross their docks last year. That’s up nearly 20 percent from 2011.

The total dollar value of that cargo was a record $54 billion.

“The Port has successfully withstood a challenging economy and has outperformed many other major U.S. ports thanks to shrewd infrastructure investments, unique job-creating business partnerships, and long-term contracts with major international shipping companies,” said Governor O’Malley.

“The future of the Port of Baltimore has never looked brighter,” he continued. “This is excellent news for the more than 14,000 men and women who depend on the port to support their families.”

Overall, Baltimore is ranked ninth for the total dollar value of cargo and 11th for cargo tonnage.