BALTIMORE – With the collapse of a serious bridge on the Port of Baltimore, hypothesis is mounting as to the impact it’ll have on the provision chain.
The port shall be closed to containers indefinitely, with Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld saying all vessel site visitors into and out of the port shall be suspended till additional discover. The ability continues to be open to vans, nevertheless.
“This can be a main catastrophe and can create vital issues on the U.S. East Coast for U.S. importers and exporters,” wrote Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, on LinkedIn. “The bridge collapse will imply that in the intervening time it won’t be potential to get to the container terminals – or a spread of the opposite port terminals – in Baltimore. That is some 21,000 TEUs per week that now need to be routed by different ports within the area. Moreover, this implies the cargo already gated into the Baltimore terminals must both wait an unknown interval for the ocean lane to reopen, or be gated again out and shifted to a unique port.”
The Port of Baltimore is small in contrast with lots of its counterparts. The port ranked seventeenth within the nation in complete tonnage coming into and leaving in 2021, in line with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ 2024 report back to Congress, shifting 37 million tons of cargo. In 2023, in line with the Maryland government website, the port ranked ninth for each complete greenback worth and tonnage of worldwide cargo, at 52.3 million tons.
Within the fourth quarter of final 12 months, it moved 265,000 containers, in line with Jensen. That’s in contrast with 2 million containers moved over the identical interval by the Port of New York.
However regardless of its measurement, it has dominance over sure particular imported and exported product. In 2023, the port ranked first within the nation for dealing with cars, gentle vans, farm and building gear, in addition to imported sugar and gypsum. Prime imports have been vehicles and light-weight vans, salt, paper/paperboard, gypsum and plywood/veneer/particleboard, in line with the federal government website. Prime exports have been coal, liquefied pure gasoline, wastepaper, ferrous scrap and vehicles/gentle vans.
Plywood veneer is clearly notable for the furnishings and woodworking industries. In January of this 12 months, the port moved greater than 62,000 container tons of forest product, in line with the federal government website. That’s the most important quantity moved since August 2023.
Far East American is one firm to import hardwood plywood primarily by Baltimore. The corporate imports skinny panel plywood from Indonesia, China, Russia and different international locations for use within the constructing business, cupboard business and for giant specialty producers, in line with its website. Merchandise shifting by Baltimore embody Russian birch and Chinese language uncooked and prefinished plywood panels.
China Emburg Plywood is one other firm to make use of the port, importing plywood, movie confronted plywood and melamine boards to the U.S. market.
In 2020, main worldwide forest product provider Metsä Group signed a contract with the port. Per the settlement, Metsä leased 797,980 sq. ft of warehousing house at two of the port’s terminals, a rise of greater than 300,000 sq. ft – or greater than 60% – in contrast with its earlier contract signed in 2016.
The port shall be closed to containers indefinitely, with Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld saying all vessel site visitors into and out of the port shall be suspended till additional discover. The ability continues to be open to vans, nevertheless.
“This can be a main catastrophe and can create vital issues on the U.S. East Coast for U.S. importers and exporters,” wrote Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, on LinkedIn. “The bridge collapse will imply that in the intervening time it won’t be potential to get to the container terminals – or a spread of the opposite port terminals – in Baltimore. That is some 21,000 TEUs per week that now need to be routed by different ports within the area. Moreover, this implies the cargo already gated into the Baltimore terminals must both wait an unknown interval for the ocean lane to reopen, or be gated again out and shifted to a unique port.”
The Port of Baltimore is small in contrast with lots of its counterparts. The port ranked seventeenth within the nation in complete tonnage coming into and leaving in 2021, in line with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ 2024 report back to Congress, shifting 37 million tons of cargo. In 2023, in line with the Maryland government website, the port ranked ninth for each complete greenback worth and tonnage of worldwide cargo, at 52.3 million tons.
Within the fourth quarter of final 12 months, it moved 265,000 containers, in line with Jensen. That’s in contrast with 2 million containers moved over the identical interval by the Port of New York.
However regardless of its measurement, it has dominance over sure particular imported and exported product. In 2023, the port ranked first within the nation for dealing with cars, gentle vans, farm and building gear, in addition to imported sugar and gypsum. Prime imports have been vehicles and light-weight vans, salt, paper/paperboard, gypsum and plywood/veneer/particleboard, in line with the federal government website. Prime exports have been coal, liquefied pure gasoline, wastepaper, ferrous scrap and vehicles/gentle vans.
Plywood veneer is clearly notable for the furnishings and woodworking industries. In January of this 12 months, the port moved greater than 62,000 container tons of forest product, in line with the federal government website. That’s the most important quantity moved since August 2023.
Far East American is one firm to import hardwood plywood primarily by Baltimore. The corporate imports skinny panel plywood from Indonesia, China, Russia and different international locations for use within the constructing business, cupboard business and for giant specialty producers, in line with its website. Merchandise shifting by Baltimore embody Russian birch and Chinese language uncooked and prefinished plywood panels.
China Emburg Plywood is one other firm to make use of the port, importing plywood, movie confronted plywood and melamine boards to the U.S. market.
In 2020, main worldwide forest product provider Metsä Group signed a contract with the port. Per the settlement, Metsä leased 797,980 sq. ft of warehousing house at two of the port’s terminals, a rise of greater than 300,000 sq. ft – or greater than 60% – in contrast with its earlier contract signed in 2016.