Baltimore bridge collapse creates shipping headaches at major auto hub

Automakers react

General Motors Co. expects the situation will have "minimal impact to our operations," said spokesperson Kevin Kelly, adding the automaker is "working to re-route any vehicle shipments to other ports."

Stellantis NA, meanwhile, was "initiating discussions with our various transportation providers on contingency plans to ensure an uninterrupted flow of vehicles to our customers and will continue to carefully monitor this situation," said a statement sent from spokesperson Jodi Tinson. The automaker would not say how many of its vehicles or parts came through Baltimore.

Nissan Motor Co. doesn't expect "significant" impact from the bridge collapse and Kia Corp. does not expect any, though Mitsubishi said the Baltimore port is "one of the key inbound shipping locations" that it uses.

"It is too early to understand the impact this situation will have, but we are working with Port staff to monitor activities, and we will adjust as needed to minimize any inconvenience to our customers and our dealer partners," a statement sent from spokesperson Jeremy Barnes said.

Mercedes-Benz also said it was affected, as the Baltimore port, along with others such as New Brunswick and Charleston, are used by the automaker for vehicle imports. Spokesperson Anna McGregor said the company was watching the situation closely with its transport partners, and considering if it needed to tweak supply routes.

"We have several options available within our flexible supply chain network," she said.

Toyota Motor Corp. spokesperson Curt McAllister said in a statement that Baltimore is not the primary port for Toyota's North American operations, but "there will be some impact, primarily on vehicle exports. At this time, we do not anticipate a significant disruption, but we are evaluating the situation closely to determine the longer-term impact and countermeasures.”

Subaru Corp. expected no impact on its operation since the company does "not use that port for any ocean freight and the bridge is not a route taken for any direct shipment to our facility," spokesperson Craig Koven said in a statement.

Both Volkswagen's brands as well as BMW have major import operations in Maryland. But they are both based at a large private facility called Tradepoint Atlantic, closer to the mouth of the Patapsco River, in an area not affected by the bridge collapse.

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