The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, USA, which collapsed last week after one of its support pillars was hit by a ship, is causing interruptions in the flow of pulp into the country, jeopardizing shipments from some of the largest exporters of the raw material.
Following the accident, the port of Baltimore – one of the few used in the US by major pulp producers, including Brazil’s Suzano and Eldorado Brasil Celulose – was closed, according to sources.
In 2023, the port was responsible for around 6% of pulp imports to the US, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In total, the country imported more than 3 million tons of pulp that year.
Companies are looking to redirect cargo to nearby ports, which will cause shipping delays in other hubs, including Philadelphia, New York, and Norfolk, Virginia.
The bridge disaster is the latest setback for the pulp industry, which has already been facing challenges due to mill shutdowns and violence in the Red Sea.
Global pulp prices are rising, and the main exporter, Suzano, recently announced that stocks were below normal in the main consumer markets due to shipping delays related to missile attacks in the Red Sea by Houthi militants based in Yemen.
In addition, pulp markets were also affected by workers’ strikes that resulted in plant shutdowns in Finland – another major global pulp supplier.
