Following a bridge collapse in the U.S. port of Baltimore caused by a container ship collision, shipping operations have been severely impacted, leading to vessels dropping anchor in nearby waters and ships being stranded within the port. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, resulted in the suspension of port traffic until further notice, as confirmed by Maryland transportation authorities. Analysis from data and analytics group Kpler revealed that at least 13 vessels scheduled to load coal were anchored near the Baltimore port, while other vessels, including container and cargo ships, were also awaiting clearance nearby according to ship tracking data from MarineTraffic.
Inside the port, three vessels slated to load commodities were affected, with additional smaller ships, including pleasure crafts, unable to depart. The dry bulk vessel Klara Oldendorff, situated inside the port, remained undamaged but faced transit halts until further updates, as reported by the vessel’s owner Oldendorff Carriers. The container shipping sector experienced disruptions as well, prompting top Danish container shipping group Maersk to exclude Baltimore port from its services indefinitely due to bridge damage and debris concerns.
The incident has led to potential rerouting of containerized exports to alternate ports like Philadelphia, Norfolk, New York, and New Jersey, potentially causing increased trucking and rail rates as volumes shift. With Baltimore port handling a significant volume of autos, light trucks, machinery, and various commodities, the disruption poses challenges for supply chains and adds to existing pressures on ocean freight services, including recent rate hikes and operational issues in key shipping routes.