Impact of Baltimore port closure on global supply chains
bridge collapse that closed the Port of Baltimore has raised concerns about the disaster's potential impact on the global supply chain.
Authorities have warned that extensive work is needed before the major port can reopen following Tuesday's catastrophic cargo ship collision, which has blocked the harbour's entrance.
Here is a look at what it could mean for global trade:
A major car terminal
Baltimore is among the top 20 ports in the United States by tonnage and number of containers handled, according to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Last year, it handled a record 1.1 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) of containers — a measure of volume for shipping containers.
Container imports via Baltimore amounted to 2.1 percent of the total for all US ports, according to Allianz Trade.
Its location deep within the Chesapeake Bay make it a «second-tier American port,» said Paul Tourret, director of French maritime industry institute ISEMAR.
The port hosts transatlantic traffic, including small ships from northern Europe and the Mediterranean as well as some shipping lines from the Indian Ocean, Tourret said.
But it is a key hub for the auto industry.
Its private and public terminals handled 847,158 autos and light trucks last year, more than any other US port for the 13th year in a row, according to Maryland state figures.
It also ranked first for farm and construction machinery, as well as imported sugar and gypsum, and second for coal
