Port officials in Philadelphia and South Jersey are working with other East Coast ports to accept ships bound for Baltimore following this week’s Key Bridge collapse. “I think yesterday was still focused on recovery, and today those decisions will be made as far as where those ships will be diverted,” said Ryan Mulvey, the Port of Philadelphia’s director of government and public affairs.
“We did have a ship yesterday at 5 p.m. that was from Baltimore. We anticipate a barge bound for Baltimore during the weekend. We also learned that there is an auto-ship with approximately 3,500 autos that must be discharged.
Officials at the South Jersey Port anticipate a 25% increase in cargo volumes.
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“The next week and a half to two weeks we have three additional ships, and we’ve had dozens of calls,” said Kevin Duffy, the company’s chief operating officer.
Customers offered to shift cargo out of the port to make place for freight diverted from the collapsed bridge site.
The South Jersey Port primarily handles bulk and breakbulk cargo, such as steel coils, aerosol cans, food goods, plywood, and fencing materials. “They receive their stuff every week. So if they don’t have a ship, they’re going to be in danger,” Duffy explained, referring to the supply chain disruption.
“Most likely the customers we’re going to gain during this crisis are going to go back to where they were when they were done,” Duffy said.
COVID-19 taught the port community the importance of collaboration in maintaining the supply chain. Now, the ports of Philadelphia and South Jersey rely on that infrastructure once more.
The governors of New Jersey and New York released the following statement:
“The tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has touched every corner of the nation, and we are ready to support Governor Moore and the people of Maryland in any way. We have seen over the past several years that indefinite port closures can impact national and global supply chains, which hurt everyday consumers the hardest. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey can take on additional cargo, and we have directed the Authority to further evaluate all available resources to minimize supply chain disruptions. Along with our federal partners, we will continue to work together to support our neighbors in Baltimore and consumers nationwide.”
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