Baltimore Bridge Impact Assessment – Update

Following the recent Baltimore Bridge collapse and subsequent port closures, we want to keep our customers informed about the situation and potential impacts on our supply chain in the coming months.

Impact Assessment & Bridge Rebuilding Timeline

Passage to and from the Port of Baltimore is currently impossible and is unlikely to be reestablished for several weeks, if not months. Carriers will not be accepting new import bookings to Baltimore until further notice.

According to early predictions, rebuilding the collapsed bridge could take up to a year, depending on the condition of sections on either end once the debris is cleared. This prolonged reconstruction period is expected to put pressure on regional trucking networks, resulting in longer lead times and potentially higher freight costs within specific lanes.

Read more on rebuild timelines

Force Majeure Declarations by Container Liners

For containers at the origin POL, urgent contact with your freight forwarder or origin booking office is necessary to decide whether the cargo should be carried to alternate ports in the USA.

Major shipping companies such as Cosco, Evergreen, and CMA CGM have declared force majeure, meaning that cargo owners are now responsible for retrieving their goods from alternate ports where they have been redirected due to the bridge collapse. As a result, cargo owners may face additional responsibilities and potentially increased logistical complexities.

If your freight is being diverted along the eastern seaboard, we can help minimize penalties and get your containers back on track. Our team is on standby to help diverted shippers. Contact us here.

Immediate Concerns and Response from Manufacturers

Carriers are working to find new ports of call, impacting maritime lanes across the eastern seaboard. This situation has led to certain vessels being trapped, ship traffic being suspended, and fueling depots and hazmat shipments being disrupted. The Port of Baltimore handles a significant amount of automotive and hazmat trade. As a result, there’s a great deal of coordination for discharging shipments to other ports and organizing trucking and transload capacity for the affected freight.

Manufacturers have responded to the issue by rerouting their shipments to minimize the operational impacts. For instance, companies like General Motors and Ford are finding alternative shipping routes to cope with the disruptions.

Long-Term Planning and Mitigation

Efforts are underway to find solutions for shipping customers affected by the trapped and delayed vessels. This includes the possibility of diverting the ships to alternative ports. Shippers and carriers are considering discharging shipments at other Eastern Seaboard ports and making arrangements for trucking and transload capacity for the impacted freight.

Both shippers and carriers alike are considering alternative routes and contingency plans until the Port of Baltimore reopens, while industry experts continue to calculate the potential costs and impact of this disruption on our supply chain beyond just the immediate triage of this situation.

How Legacy Prepares for Global Shipping Disruptions with Contingency Planning

One of the strengths of Legacy Supply Chain is our robust end-to-end global shipping network. Lessons from the pandemic have reminded and prepared us to create more resilient supply chains that adapt flexibly to and swiftly to unforeseen circumstances such as the recent Baltimore Bridge collapse. While the Port of Baltimore remains affected, we have initiated measures to reroute impacted shipments to different regions, ensuring minimal disruption to our customers’ supply chain operations.

We are also leveraging air freight options to diversify and expedite the movement of critical goods.

For additional ways Legacy prepares our customers for disruptions – Check out our post about 5 Key Components in International Contingency Planning