Baltimore's port closure could upend jobs and supply chains for months

Mar 29, 2024
Baltimore's port could be closed for months, keeping people out of work and leaving freighters looking for places to route their loads.
Above, the Seagirt Marine Terminal at the Port of Baltimore in September 2018. Baltimore’s port supports more than 150,000 jobs — 15,000 of them through direct employment.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Big cargo ships are more efficient. And more risky.

Mar 27, 2024
Cargo ships have grown since the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built. Collisions have greater impact, physically and economically.
The scene of the shipping accident in Baltimore. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked billions of dollars for port upgrades made necessary by the scaling up of cargo ships.
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Supply chains already feel the pinch as collapsed bridge blocks Baltimore's port

Mar 26, 2024
And there's no telling how long it'll take to reopen the port. Other East Coast ports will have to handle some of the shipping traffic.
The cargo ship Dali reported losing power before it struck a column on the Francis Scott Key bridge.
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Some manufacturers may ramp up inventories this year

Mar 11, 2024
Businesses have spent the last year and a half trying to whittle down excess inventories. Some businesses still have work to do, but others are likely to build those inventories up this year.
If manufacturers do ramp up production, it would be the first expansion the sector has seen in 17 months.
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Businesses are breathing new life into unused warehouse space

Mar 8, 2024
Many businesses bulked up on warehouse space early in the pandemic. Now, storing extra inventory isn’t as important, and surplus warehouse space is being put to alternative uses.
Retailers — especially smaller retailers — aren't using their warehouses as much as they were a year ago, said Zac Rogers, who helps put together the Logistics Managers Index.
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The logistics sector was weak in November, but that's not necessarily bad news

Dec 6, 2023
The Logistics Managers Index fell the most since April 2022, when inventories were up and shipping and warehouse costs were sky-high.
Inventory levels are down because consumers are doing a lot of buying. Plus, smoother supply chains are making more goods available in the first place.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The shipping industry is still struggling, but analysts see potential for an upswing

Nov 8, 2023
Does weakening demand for shipping suggest a downturn in 2024, or might there be signs of brighter days ahead for the freight industry?
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Panama drought makes canal passage "quite the challenge," customs broker says

Oct 18, 2023
Low water levels in the Panama Canal are forcing a customs broker in Pennsylvania to reroute cargo so it's deliver on time.
Low water levels in the Panama canal are affecting shipping costs globally.
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Why some car parts are still hard to find

Sep 18, 2023
Dealers are still playing catch-up after the chip shortage and suppliers are building parts for new cars rather than those on the road.
Dealerships are hesitant to sell high-demand parts to repair shops. Instead, they're prioritizing putting those parts into new cars.
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When one company dominates a market, there can be downsides

Aug 24, 2023
Chipmaker Nvidia is the breakout sensation of the AI boom. But supply chain snarls have taught us the risks of having few sources.
Nvidia designs about 80% of the specialized chips needed to train complex artificial intelligence models. It makes a single-source product that's fabricated by only one company.
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