In the early hours of March 26, 2024, tragedy struck Baltimore, Maryland as a container ship that lost power collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. As a result of the bridge’s collapse, a significant portion of the Port of Baltimore remains inaccessible to shipping traffic. Supply chain disruptions are anticipated.

What Will Be Affected?

According to the National Association of Home Builders, plywood, veneered panels and similar laminated wood, gypsum, and sawn lumber are the main home building imports that are expected to be impacted. Plywood, veneered panels and similar laminated wood “[represent] 16% of the U.S. total import value for 2023, making it the most important port for plywood imports.”

Gypsum “[represents] 14% of the U.S. total import value for 2023 and the highest level of gypsum imports for any U.S. port. And sawn lumber “[represents] 3% of the U.S. total import value for 2023, making Baltimore the 11th most important port for sawn lumber imports.”

What We Know Now

As of Thursday, April 8, “32 vessels have passed through temporary channels on either side of the wreckage” according to the Associated Press. Captain David O’Connell of the U.S. Coast Guard said “the Unified Command is concurrently progressing on its main lines of effort to remove enough debris to open the channel to larger commercial traffic.” Our team will update this page as the situation continues to unfold in Baltimore.

Header Image: NTSB drone image of Francis Scott Key Bridge and Cargo Ship Dali by NTSBgov via Wikimedia Commons.

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