An effort between Gov. Martin O’Malley and the Mediterranean Shipping Company will help keep hundreds of Maryland careers in the state.

O’Malley and officials from MSC recently signed a six-year extension to the current contract between the Port of Baltimore and the MSC, an international container shipping company based in Geneva. The deal will help keep 628 direct jobs in Maryland and ensure the continued shipment of containerized cargo through the Port of Baltimore.

“In these difficult economic times, I am very pleased to receive an extended commitment from one of the top container shipping companies in the world,” O’Malley said in a press release. “This extension keeps good-paying, family-supporting jobs at the economic engine that is the Port of Baltimore. Maryland is proud to be signing the third long-term contract in a year when many ports are facing much harder times.”

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