SunSirs: The Collapse of Bridges in the United States Affects the Pulp Supply in the US Market

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, USA collapsed due to one of its pillars being hit by a ship, resulting in the interruption of pulp transportation to the United States.

According to sources, after the accident, Baltimore Port was closed, and it is one of the few ports used by large pulp producers in the United States, including Suzano and Eldorado in Brazil.

According to data from the US Census Bureau, this port accounted for approximately 6% of the US pulp imports in 2023. The total import volume of pulp in the United States exceeded 3 million tons throughout the year.

Pulp producers are seeking to redirect their goods to nearby ports, including Philadelphia, New York and Norfolk, Virginia, but this will result in transportation delays at other hubs.

The bridge disaster is another unexpected event in the global pulp industry, which has recently faced challenges from factory closures and the Red Sea incident.

Global pulp prices are rising, and Suzano, the largest exporter, recently announced that transportation delays have been caused by attacks by Yemeni militants in the Red Sea, and inventory levels in major consumer markets are below normal.

In addition, the pulp market has also been affected by worker strikes, which have led to the closure of most factories in Finland, another major global pulp supplier.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact SunSirs with support@sunsirs.com.