Photo Credit: NTSB via Reuters

The collapse of Maryland’s Francis Scott Key Bridge March 26 after it was struck by a cargo ship continues to block access to the Port of Baltimore and will likely disrupt shipping flows across the United States.

The Singapore-flagged MV Dali container ship collided with the bridge at approximately 1:35 a.m. on March 26. With several people remaining unaccounted for, rescue and recovery operations continue – but it’s unclear how long debris from the bridge will block the Patapsco River, which leads to the Port of Baltimore.

For the food shipping community, industry experts predict that the accident will impact maritime lanes as carriers seek alternative ports of call while the collapsed bridge continues to block the river. The Port of Baltimore is a significant gateway for agricultural products (including rice, sugar, and other agricultural products) and is sure to disrupt the supply chains of many food shippers that do business on a global scale.

The Port of Baltimore is the deepest harbor in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, with five public and 12 private terminals. Port officials have not indicated how long ship traffic in and out of the port will be suspended, although trucks are still being processed. Another important consideration is the scores of commercial vessels that regularly call at the Port of Baltimore.

In 2023, the Port of Baltimore handled $80.8 billion in trade, including 1.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units, 1.3 million tons of roll-on/roll-off farm and construction machinery, 11.7 million tons of general cargo, and 847,158 shipments of cars and light trucks.

In the state of Maryland, freight is primarily regional - with approximately 36% of trucking tender volume staying in the state. An additional 22% goes to Pennsylvania and 15% goes to Virginia.

Some industry observers are already speculating that all deep-water ships, vessels with a controlling depth of 50 feet will have to be diverted to other East Coast ports.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey issued this statement yesterday: “The Port of New York and New Jersey is proactively working with our industry partners to respond as needed and ensure supply chain continuity along the East Coast.”

The Port of Virginia released a statement yesterday that announced: “Our operating team is already working with ocean carriers whose vessels were due to call Baltimore and offering the capability of our port to discharge cargoes as requested. The Port of Virginia has a significant amount of experience in handling surges of import and export cargo and is ready to provide whatever assistance we can to the team at the Port of Baltimore.”

Related Articles:

• With Just 90 Seconds of Warning, Countless Lives Were Saved
• Baltimore Port Closure Could Trigger Freight Rate Hikes, Delays

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