Shipping companies could re-route some cargo vessels to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as a result of the collapse of portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore harbor, a cargo industry expert told the NBC4 I-Team.
"It has an incredible ripple effect," Alex Cherin said of the Baltimore tragedy, in which six construction workers were presumed dead after a cargo ship struck one of the bridge's support columns, causing the collapse Tuesday.
Cherin, a former managing director for trade at the Port of Long Beach and now an industry advisor, said cargo companies that plan for ocean voyages a year or more in advance may not want to risk scheduling new routes to Baltimore.
"These shippers are thinking long term, and what they really want is certainty," Cherin said. "They can’t wait until the last minute hoping that the port of Baltimore reopens, they have to make decisions 6 months out on where that cargo is going to go."
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He said Baltimore's harbor has deep water, capable of handling the largest container ships, and better infrastructure for offloading cars -- features that aren't available in many other East Coast ports.
Cherin said while LA and Long Beach are thousands of miles away from East Coast destinations, it could be an economical alternative, depending on fuel prices and other industry factors.
"While it may not work today, a year from now, that math may make sense," he said. "The big importers -- the Walmarts and the Targets of the world -- will have to decide."
Baltimore Harbor Bridge Collapse
Cherin said the effects would not be seen for months as ships already headed to Baltimore would likely reroute to other ports on the Eastern seaboard.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reported significant increases in cargo volume in January, and a 60% year-over-year increase in the Port of LA in February, following slowdowns in 2023, partly blamed on a labor dispute with dockworkers.
