Article Summary –
Major automakers like General Motors, Toyota, and the Volkswagen Group use the Port of Baltimore to ship vehicles in and out of the east coast of the US. With the port now closed, these automakers are looking for alternative ports for vehicle shipment. For instance, GM is rerouting vehicle shipments to other ports; Ford is rerouting auto parts to other East Coast ports; and VW, while it does not anticipate any impact on vessel operations, expects trucking delays due to rerouted traffic.
A cargo ship docked at Baltimore Port
Major automakers such as General Motors, Toyota, and Volkswagen Group use Baltimore Port for shipping cars and SUVs across the east coast of the US.
With the port closure, automakers now need to identify alternative ports for importing and exporting vehicles. General Motors, for example, routed its South American exports through Baltimore.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by the situation in Baltimore,” GM stated. “We expect minimal impact to our operations as we reroute vehicle shipments to other ports.”
Ford’s Chief Financial Officer, John Lawler, commented in a Bloomberg Television interview about rerouting auto parts to other East Coast ports, extending the supply chain slightly.
Disruptions in truck traffic could create issues for automakers not directly affected by port issues. Volkswagen’s Baltimore shipping facility, located on the eastern side of the bridge, maintains ocean access.
“Last year, we processed around 100,000 vehicles through Baltimore for Northeast and Mid-Atlantic US dealers,” VW announced. “We don’t anticipate an impact on vessel operations, but trucking delays might occur due to rerouted traffic.”
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