LONDON (Reuters) – Norwegian car shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen estimates last week’s Baltimore bridge collapse would cost between $5 million and $10 million to its core profits and expects the main ship canal to remain closed for weeks.
The company said its vessel Carmen remained stranded in Baltimore Harbor with the ship and its crew ready to set sail as soon as the shipping channel reopened.
Salvage crews opened a second channel Tuesday allowing smaller ships to navigate Baltimore Harbor, but most commercial vessels remain blocked by the collapsed bridge and grounded container ship that collapsed the structure a week ago.
“We have estimated the aggregate interim total financial impact on EBITDA of the situation to be between $5 million and $10 million, assuming the disruptions last up to a month,” said Wallenius Wilhelmsen, one of the world’s largest auto carriers. a statement Wednesday.
“We currently expect the closure to last for weeks and have based our impact estimates on this assumption,” he said.
“Once open, we anticipate that the terminal will promptly resume normal cargo operations as ships begin to call as previously scheduled.”
“There is obviously a risk of delays in the planned reopening or unforeseen challenges in rescue operations.”
According to the state of Maryland, the Port of Baltimore ranks first in the United States for the volume of handling of automobiles and light trucks, agricultural and construction equipment, imported sugar and imported gypsum.
Some terminal operations outside the affected area have resumed.