A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) worker looks on at the cargo vessel Dali, which struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Baltimore, Maryland, US March 27, 2024.
Credit: Reuters Photo
By Kevin Varley
Furniture, appliances, plasticware, and construction machinery — products that fill the American home and much more are what container ship Dali offloaded in Baltimore before it slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday.
The 984-foot ship was carrying containers from various countries, including China, Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam, to the US East Coast via the Panama Canal. The full shipping list serves as an example of the strong supply chain link between the US and Asia.
Close to 7,000 metric tons worth of goods arrived in Baltimore, according to preliminary US bill-of-ladings data, with Swedish furniture maker Ikea, XCMG North America, Kubota Tractor Corp, and Electrolux AB listed among the importers.
The ship, which made stops at New York and Norfolk before reaching Baltimore, was headed for Colombo when it ran into the bridge. Docks in New Jersey and Virginia face the threat of being overwhelmed by traffic that will be forced away from Baltimore.