Baltimore bridge collapse: Ships carrying cars and heavy equipment need to find a new harbor

abcnews.go.com:

Manufacturers and shippers are scrambling to figure out where they can load or unload cargo while the main operations at the Port of Baltimore remain closed due to Tuesday’s deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge

Manufacturers and shippers are scrambling to figure out where they can load or unload cargo while the main operations of the Port of Baltimore remain shut down due to Tuesday's deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Supply chain experts say other ports up and down the East Coast are likely to absorb much of Baltimore's traffic, avoiding a crisis. But not without some longer shipping times and upheaval.

“Ultimately, most trade through Baltimore will find a new home port,” Moody's Analytics economist Harry Murphy Cruise wrote in a blog post.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reiterated Wednesday that it was too soon to estimate how long it would take to clear the bridge structure from the 50-foot-deep (15 meters) Patapsco River channel, which leads to the port's main terminal.

The port's location makes it a key destination for freight. The Maryland Port Administration says the facility is an overnight drive from two-thirds of the U.S. population, and it's closer to the Midwest than any other East Coast port.

Here's a look at the goods that go through the Port of Baltimore and the potential impact of a prolonged port shutdown:

Baltimore is the ninth-busiest port in the nation for international cargo, but it leads U.S. ports in “roll on, roll off" cargo. That means goods with wheels, composed largely of automobiles but including construction and agricultural equipment.

The state of Maryland says the port moved 847,158 automobiles last year. About 70% of the wheeled cargo was