CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — As cleanup efforts continue in Baltimore after the bridge collapse, local auto dealerships are bracing for the potential impact on their supply chains. The Northeast Ohio Auto Dealers Association said 40% of Baltimore's port activity is automotive-related, whether it’s inventory or parts from original manufacturers, and most of those shipments end up coming to the greater Cleveland area.
It’s business as usual Friday at Cascade Auto Group’s body shop in Cuyahoga Falls. Partner Pat Primm, said that’s the case — for now. It’s only been four days since the Baltimore bridge collapsed.
“It’s going to slow some things,” said Primm. “Is it going to add a week to the process? A month to the process? We don’t know yet.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the supply chain will be impacted. In 2023, the Port of Baltimore handled over 52 million tons of foreign cargo worth nearly $81 billion. Of that, the port led the nation in the import of cars and light trucks, with over 800,000 last year. Primm said Baltimore is one of Cascade's main ports for imported cars and parts.
“Right now, we haven’t heard of any major disruptions other than it may take a few more days to redirect a car,” Primm said. “So, it is going to create an inconvenience—not insurmountable, definitely an inconvenience, especially if you’re the one waiting on that certain part that’s been hard to get.”
Vice President of the Northeast Ohio Auto Dealers Association, Tim Elliot, said most area dealerships have enough supply of cars and parts to last 30 to 60 days. However, as inventories can’t easily get replenished with the port closed, the ripple effect may begin to snowball.
“After 60 days, when those pools do not get replenished with inventory, then it could potentially be an issue for the manufacturers that are affected by it," said Elliott.
Elliott does not believe supply chain disruptions will fall on consumers. He believes it's going to be a timely inconvenience at most.
“Now, all the trucking and transport companies that have to go pick up those vehicles and parts and bring them back to Northeastern Ohio, they're all scrambling now,” Elliott added.
Primm said it’s too early to predict exact impacts as many of the manufacturers he works with are already rerouting their ships to other U.S ports, but for now, he reroutes the situation into perspective.
“A car is a car, we will find those folks a car; you can’t forget about the lives lost,” said Primm.
