The disaster is a reminder of the commodity’s persistent importance to the global economy.
Image credit: Getty Images. The Port of Baltimore accounted for 28% of the nation’s coal exports last year.
U.S.News World Report | Matt Whittaker
“When the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed last week after a huge container ship ran into a support column, the fatal event sent ripples throughout the global supply chain that are still being assessed.
Authorities have closed an area within 2,000 yards of the wreckage, blocking access to the Port of Baltimore, the second-largest U.S. coal exporting hub behind Norfolk, Virginia.
‘Losing the port can prove to be a significant disruption if other ports can’t surge to provide an outlet for the coal that would have been exported through Baltimore,’ says Northern Arizona University assistant research professor and supply chain expert Richard Rushforth. ‘We’re in the early days, still so we’ll have to see how this plays out.'”…