Baltimore Bridge Collapse Could Hit US Autos Imports, Coal Exports

Overnight the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD collapsed after one of its support structures was hit by the Singapore-flagged container vessel Dali, on its way from the Point Breeze terminal to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The apparent total collapse of the bridge would appear to take the entire Port of Baltimore out of action, given that the strait spanned by the bridge is the only access for shipping from the port into the Chesapeake Bay, in turn leading into the Atlantic Ocean.

• The collapse of the could have an impact on the US economy beyond just the boundaries of the city itself. The Port of Baltimore, while not one of the largest ports in the country in terms of overall tonnage, nor a key hub for trade in oil or gas, is notable in some areas of freight. It is the largest port in the US for the import of ro-ro (roll-on, roll-off) cargo handling autos, light trucks, farm vehicles, and construction machinery as well as imported forest products, aluminium, and sugar.
• On the export side, it is the second-largest port in the US in terms of coal exports, with the US sitting as the fourth-largest coal exporter worldwide in 2022.

Map of Port of Baltimore

Source: AP