According to an estimate by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the collapse of a bridge in Baltimore this week will cause serious losses to the city's coal exports in the amount of $28 million. The Port of Baltimore, which is the second largest coal export center in the United States, handles 28% of all coal exports, as well as part of fertilizer supplies. The collision of the Maersk cargo ship with the Francis Scott Key Bridge temporarily suspended all shipping from the port of Baltimore. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the EIA has already predicted a slowdown in coal exports from the United States this year due to increased use of renewable energy sources, which leads to a reduction in coal consumption and negatively affects exports. In connection with the incident, the share prices of key coal trading companies in Baltimore, such as Consol Energy and CSX Railroad, rose sharply. Most of the coal from the port of Baltimore will be sent to Asia, where there is high demand for this type of fuel, especially in India, as well as to China and Japan.
