USA: The collapse of the Port of Baltimore bridge could send ripples through agricultural supply chain

United States

Supply Chain Management

Market & Price Trends

Published Mar 28, 2024

Tridge summary

Mike Steenhoek, the director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, has emphasized the significant repercussions of the Baltimore bridge collapse on the U.S. agricultural supply chain. The incident, which occurred when an ocean vessel collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, is expected to disrupt not only the local area but also extend its impact to other ports like Norfolk, Virginia, and Savannah, Georgia. This disruption has led to a blockade in the Chesapeake Bay, causing logistical challenges for ships at the Port of Baltimore and affecting commerce. Although the port is not a primary hub for soybeans and grain, it is crucial for the transportation of various agricultural commodities such as sugar, corn, wheat, and coffee, underscoring its importance to the national economy.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

The director of the Soy Transportation Coalition warns the U.S. agricultural supply chain could feel ripple effects from the Baltimore bridge collapse. Mike Steenhoek tells Brownfield ocean vessels like the one that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday typically make multiple stops. “So the impacts of this is not just going be confined to Baltimore, obviously that’s ground zero. That’s where the problem will be most acutely felt, but it’s also going to have an impact on these other port regions.” He says those include Norfolk, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia. “So again, it’s a really big deal when you’ve got a complication and a tragedy like this at one of our ports.” Steenhoek points out the bridge collapse occurred at a critical spot in the Chesapeake Bay. “So now you’ve got this massive structure that’s now in that channel, and that’s going to take a considerable period of time to remove that debris so that you can have transit and commerce resume in and out of the ...

Source: Brownfield Ag