Baltimore bridge collapse: US braces for supply chain disruption

Downing of Francis Scott Key Bridge disrupts shipping of cars and parts and risks loss of Baltimore’s cargo trade to other ports

The US transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, warned of “major and protracted impact to supply chains” following the closure of the Port of Baltimore for the forseeable future after Tuesday’s catastrophic bridge collapse, though some experts said the impact was likely to be targeted to particular regions and industries.

Spanning more than 2km and with four lanes of traffic, the Francis Scott Key Bridge – a vital artery in Baltimore’s industrial heartland – took nine years to plan and almost five to build, but came down in under a minute after being struck by a cargo ship in the early hours of Tuesday.