Early Tuesday morning, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after it was hit by a container ship leaving the Port of Baltimore. The bridge crumbled into the water below, killing six people and cutting off access to one of America’s busiest ports. Now, the impact of the bridge’s collapse is starting to take hold, as automakers begin diverting imported cars to other ports across the U.S.
Experts have now warned that automakers are facing “weeks of disruption” as a result of the bridge collapse, reports Politico. According to the site, some will be forced to re-route shipments to other ports in America, while others may have to delay some deliveries. As Politico reports:
“It would be a challenge to reschedule that much incoming flow to a different place,” Golara said. He expects companies will redirect imports to ports in New York and Georgia during the disruption, but they could still face constraints in the availability of certain models.
Golara noted that the automotive supply chain is more resilient than it was before the pandemic, and dealers have more inventory available, especially for electric vehicles. “Electric cars are in still better position than the average car,” he said.
As a result of the collapsed bridge, automakers such as Ford and General Motors have already confirmed that they will need to divert vehicle shipments to other ports in America. Toyota also expects to feel some impact of the bridge collapse, while Volkswagen, Volvo and Nissan said the impacts would be minor, reports Politico.
President Biden has also weighed in on the issues facing the auto industry in America. The certified Corvette guy said the White House would “move heaven and earth” to reopen the bridge and get the port up and running once again.
A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik’s The Morning Shift.