The Port of Baltimore on Tuesday began adjusting its operations after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River.
The bridge that feeds into the Port of Baltimore fell after a large container ship struck a support column early Tuesday morning. A search and rescue operation is currently underway.
"We want to express our deepest thoughts to the individuals and families involved in this morning’s tragic incident," the Port of Baltimore said in a Tuesday morning statement on social media.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also issued a state of emergency declaration in response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident.
MARYLAND: SHIP HITS FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE, CAUSING IT TO COLLAPSE
The Maryland Port Administration is tasked with overseeing the Port of Baltimore. It contains five public and 12 private terminals.
The Port of Baltimore sees nearly 1,800 visits from over 50 ocean carriers each year, according to the Maryland State Archives.
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In 2023, a record-setting 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo came through the port. That helped it earn the No. 9 ranking among major U.S. ports in that category, according to the Maryland governor’s office.
No other U.S. port handled as much volume of "autos and light trucks, roll on/off heavy farm and construction machinery, imported sugar, and imported gypsum" as the Port of Baltimore last year, per the governor’s office. For cars and light trucks, it has ranked No. 1 for 13 straight years.
The port provides a major source of economic activity in Maryland, driving over $2.6 billion in business income, the Maryland State Archives reported. It also creates nearly $400 million in tax revenue.
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Baltimore’s port has led to roughly 15,300 direct jobs. More broadly, its activities have helped provide jobs for nearly 140,000 people, according to the governor’s office.
The state of Maryland attributes nearly $3.3 billion in total personal income to the port.
The port has existed for over 300 years. It facilitated trade with England in its earliest days and later expanded to other parts of the world, per the Maryland State Archives.
