Baltimore port closure may hit US coal export volumes

foxbusiness.com:

Maryland Motor Truck Association President and CEO Louis Campion discusses the impact of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on truck and shipping routes on 'The Bottom Line.'

The closure of the Port of Baltimore to shipping traffic following a container ship's collision with a bridge that collapsed into the harbor will slow U.S. exports of coal, according to a report by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) published Thursday.

The Port of Baltimore is the second-largest U.S. shipping hub for coal exports, which have been disrupted following the collapse of the city's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning. The massive container ship Dali lost power as it was transiting the channel under the bridge and struck one of its support pilings, which resulted in the bridge's collapse.

In the wake of the accident, the Port of Baltimore has been closed indefinitely, with it unclear when the channel will be cleared, as the vessel and bridge debris remain in the channel at this time. Estimates offered by experts on a timeline for the channel to be cleared and the port reopened range from weeks to months.

«An attractive feature of the Port of Baltimore is its proximity to the northern Appalachia coal fields in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia,» the EIA wrote in its report.«Other nearby ports, most notably Hampton Roads, have additional capacity to export coal, although factors including coal quality, pricing, and scheduling will affect how easily companies can switch to exporting from another port.»

BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE SHUTTERS PORT INDEFINITELY, IMPACTING SUPPLY CHAIN

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the closure of the Port of Baltimore to shipping traffic may impact U.S. coal