Baltimore Port disruption hitting Maryland businesses hard | GUEST COMMENTARY
Our state's business community has displayed remarkable resiliency throughout this crisis. But they need partnership and support from the public sector to fully recover.
On March 26, our state witnessed an unimaginable tragedy — the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. That day, lives were lost, lives were saved, and many more were forever changed. In the aftermath of this devastation, another difficult reality has come into sharp focus: the vital role Maryland’s business community plays in driving our state’s economic engine and supporting families across every community.
The Building Bridges to Recovery Coalition, comprised of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and other leading organizations, quickly mobilized to survey businesses affected by the bridge collapse. The findings reveal the incident’s widespread impacts across diverse industries and geographic areas, with transportation disruptions leading to delays, skyrocketing freight costs and logistical crises for companies statewide.
One of the most significantly impacted businesses is CSX, a railroad industry titan with over 190 years of deep roots in Maryland. Last year alone, CSX’s Curtis Bay terminal generated over $335 million in total economic value for our state while sustaining more than 1,400 local jobs at an average salary exceeding $73,000 — significantly higher than Maryland’s average wage. The sheer volume of coal moving through the Curtis Bay Piers helps position the Port of Baltimore as the second largest exporter of coal in the country, providing the port with access to $20 million annually in federal dredging dollars, which plays an important role in ensuring the Port of Baltimore has access to global markets far beyond just coal.
With this tragedy temporarily severing CSX’s direct rail connection to Baltimore’s ports, the company has had to reroute imports, exports and domestic shipments through alternative gateways at increased costs. This had the potential to further contribute to the cascade of transportation disruptions rippling across supply chains from the bridge collapse, but CSX did add additional freight route trains between Baltimore and other ports such as New York to try to minimize the disruption.
Beyond this one company, the survey shows businesses of all sizes and sectors feeling the shockwaves. Companies reliant on the Port of Baltimore for trade have experienced substantial revenue losses. Firms far beyond the Baltimore region have struggled with broken supply chains disrupting their operations.
The human toll compounds the economic impacts. Longer, congested commutes have strained workplace productivity and morale. The specter of layoffs looms as some businesses fight to sustain operations without urgent financial relief. Minority and immigrant-owned businesses face unique barriers to accessing assistance.
Among the most pressing needs identified are establishing barge service, providing regulatory flexibility for truckers, delivering immediate financial aid through loans and grants, as well as developing coordinated solutions for operational challenges like weight restrictions on transportation routes.
But the survey also reveals a bigger underlying issue — Maryland’s vulnerability from underfunded infrastructure. The dramatic disruptions from losing one pivotal transportation artery demonstrate why investing in resilient infrastructure is crucial for economic vitality and national competitiveness.
The Port of Baltimore, severely impacted yet utterly indispensable, exemplifies how robust trade gateways facilitate commerce, job creation and prosperity statewide. As the nation’s premier automobile port and a top 10 U.S. port by cargo value, its continued vitality is paramount for anchoring industries like CSX that contribute billions annually to Maryland’s economy.
As we pursue urgent solutions, we must also advocate for long-term investments in transportation funding, bridge repair and modernization, resilience planning and policies supporting the Port of Baltimore’s growth as an economic catalyst. We cannot allow catastrophic incidents to endanger the industrial anchors and small businesses that make up our economic foundations.
Our state’s business community has displayed remarkable resiliency throughout this crisis. But they need partnership and support from the public sector to fully recover. By coming together across agencies, organizations and communities, we can navigate this challenge while reinforcing Maryland as a prime environment where commerce thrives, jobs flourish, and economic strength endures for generations.
Mary D. Kane (mkane@mdchamber.org) is president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, an organization that serves as the leading voice for business in Maryland and represents more than 7,000 member businesses in every industry across the state.