Blockade of the Port of Baltimore after an accident will have a major impact on the US economy | lock | Harbor

The blockage of the port of Baltimore, in the United States, caused by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge this Tuesday due to the impact of a cargo ship will have serious economic consequences for the country.

The port of Baltimore is one of the main US ports on the Atlantic, with a transit of US$80 billion in goods from abroad in 2023, and is the fastest route to the Midwest of the country and also the most important for transportation of automobiles.

In a statement, the port authority announced that “vessel traffic to or from the Port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice,” although it added that its facilities continue to process trucks at the terminals.

“At the moment, we do not know how long ship traffic will be suspended”, adds the note.

The suspension of traffic since the freighter Deli hit one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge this Tuesday, causing much of the infrastructure to collapse, is already causing logistical problems in part of the country.

Currently, dozens of vessels bound for Baltimore have had to anchor in the Chesapeake Bay or be rerouted to other ports.

Maritime traffic data showed a buildup of vessels at nearby ports such as Annapolis.

The local press reported that cruise companies, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, have already started looking for alternatives for their ships. Carnival Cruise Line, for example, had a cruise ship scheduled to arrive in Baltimore on Sunday.

But the alternatives, in some cases, are limited.

The port, the 16th busiest in the United States, is only one of three on the US East Coast where the world’s largest cargo ships can dock and has five public and 12 private terminals dedicated to transporting, among other products, coal. , containers, steel, cellulose and automobiles.

In 2023, the Port of Baltimore handled a record 52.3 million tons of cargo from abroad with a value of US$80 billion, 7.6% more than in 2022.

Companies such as Volkswagen, General Motors (GM), Toyota, Nissan and Volvo, as well as luxury manufacturers such as Lamborghini, export and import their vehicles through their docks.

And because of its location as the main gateway to the Midwest, the port is also the most important port for transporting heavy agricultural and construction equipment in the United States.

The port employs 15,300 people, but almost 140,000 depend on its activities, which is why the president of the local longshoremen’s union, Scott Cowan, told The Baltimore Sun that the suspension of maritime traffic will be “catastrophic”.

Additionally, the bridge that collapsed was part of Interstate 695, a major freight and passenger highway.

Maryland state officials have warned that trucks carrying hazardous materials cannot use major alternate routes and must detour west of Baltimore.

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