Concerns arise over global supply chain disruption after Baltimore bridge crash

The collision of a container ship with the Baltimore bridge raises concerns about global supply chain disruptions, impacting vital port operations and cargo transit

Fears have been raised regarding significant disruptions to global supply chains following a collision involving a container ship and a bridge in Baltimore, U.S.

The incident, involving the vessel Dali, occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning when it struck a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its collapse.

This bridge served as the gateway to the Port of Baltimore, the busiest port in the United States for car exports and ranked ninth-busiest overall.

Six individuals are currently missing and presumed dead as a result of the collision.

The U.S. Coast Guard has halted its search and rescue operations, transitioning to a recovery mission. Attention has now shifted toward investigating the cause of the accident, with a team of transportation safety experts planning to board the affected ship to retrieve its data recorder.

Maritime traffic suspended

Authorities have announced the suspension of maritime traffic through the port, which handled more than 47 million tonnes of foreign cargo last year, until further notice.

Marco Forgione, the director general at The Institute of Export and International Trade, highlighted the potential widespread impact of this suspension on global supply chains.

“Over the past year, Baltimore facilitated the transit of over 750,000 cars and vehicles, including major US, UK, and EU brands such as General Motors, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Fiat, and Audi,” he explained during an interview with Radio 4’s The World Tonight.

Additionally, Baltimore is a significant exporter of liquefied natural gas, which has implications for the U.K. and the EU.

In addition to managing maritime traffic, the Port of Baltimore directly supports approximately 15,000 jobs and contributes to an estimated 140,000 more.

In response to the accident, Danish shipping giant Maersk, whose cargo was aboard the Dali, announced plans to “omit Baltimore on all our services for the foreseeable future”.

Several rail and coal companies have also alerted their customers about potential disruptions to coal exports due to the incident.

Source: Newsroom

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