The complicated and potentially lengthy clearing of the wreckage from the Baltimore bridge disaster is beginning as authorities try to open a crucial shipping channel. The first engineering work on the task comes as authorities start to bring in the first of seven floating cranes, 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight salvage vessels and other boats that will work on the cleanup. The WSJ’s Liz Young, Jon Kamp and C. Ryan Barber report the Dali is wedged against the concrete pier it slammed into while taking down the span, a major obstacle in waters still choked with debris. A broad cross section of American exports remains on the ship, including hazardous chemicals, machinery and household products largely bound for India and other parts of Asia. Maritime experts say the roughly 4,700 containers may be tied up for a time as attorneys work out the heavy financial liability for the disaster.

• The pilot at the helm of the Dali made frantic calls to alert authorities to halt Francis Scott Key Bridge traffic moments before last week’s disaster. (WSJ)
• Car carriers bound for Baltimore have started to reroute to cargo terminals in New York and Philadelphia. (Automotive Logistics)
• Some U.S. East Coast ports are expanding their hours to handle an expected surge of container ships diverted from Baltimore. (Journal of Commerce)

The Dali containership stuck under Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge may remain in place for weeks, blocking shipping at a busy U.S. port. Maritime trade is already starting to divert to other gateways, and trucks are starting to go around the region’s major highways. In a video report, the WSJ looks at what that means for major industry supply chains and for the long-term prospects of the Port of Baltimore.

The Baltimore bridge disaster is focusing attention on the state of American bridges, including the handful of big spans that are potentially in the path of big ships. Fewer than 10 bridges in the U.S. have the clearance of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the 1,200-foot span that collapsed after a supersize containership slammed into one of its vertical supports. The WSJ’s Jo Craven McGinty and Paul Overberg report that all of them have a vulnerability where the failure of even a single steel component in tension along the span could cause a collapse. Engineers say any span that size could tumble from a direct hit to its concrete vertical supports. When the Key Bridge was built in 1977, the biggest cargo vessels carried 2,000 or 3,000 shipping containers. With its capacity for nearly 10,000 boxes, the Dali is essentially a mid-sized edition of today’s megaships.

A burgeoning supply chain for artificial intelligence gear in the U.S. is forming in Mexico. Big U.S. companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Nvidia are asking Taiwanese manufacturing partners to step up production of AI-related hardware in the country in an effort to diminish reliance on China. The WSJ’s Yang Jie and Santiago Pérez report that contract manufacturer Foxconn is among those heeding the call, as they try to take advantage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to firm up the financial case for the production. Foxconn has spent some $27 million to acquire land in Mexico’s Jalisco state that could host an expansion of the company’s AI server production. It is getting harder to make cutting-edge equipment in China because of U.S. restrictions on exports of advanced chips. But Mexico presents its own risks, including crime, insufficient water and electricity supply, and intense competition for skilled workers.
 

China’s manufacturing sector returned to expansion in March after five months of decline. (WSJ)

U.S. imports by value jumped 2.3% in February while exports rose 2.7%. (MarketWatch)

A key measure of U.S. inflation rose at a 2.5% annual pace in February. (WSJ)

The U.S. is dialing up warnings about restrictions on exports to foreign adversaries amid findings that U.S. components have found their way to Russia’s military. (WSJ)

China’s Huawei Technologies’ net profit more than doubled last year despite restrictions from U.S. export controls. (WSJ)

Tesla is on track for its first quarterly contraction in deliveries since spring 2020. (WSJ)

Japan and the European Union plan to formally collaborate on development of advanced materials in fields including chips and electric-vehicle batteries. (Nikkei Asia)

The Environmental Protection Agency finalized its rules for limiting emissions from heavy-duty trucks. (Washington Post)

Online apparel sensation Shein’s profit more than doubled last year to more than $2 billion. (Financial Times)

Japanese carrier Mitsui OSK Lines is investing in battery startup Fleetzero and its effort to build a long-range electric containership. (TradeWinds)

Indonesia suspended live animal imports from Australia after more than 100 cattle reportedly died on the Brahman Express. (Maritime Executive)

Singapore-based Pioneer Logistics is moving into dry-bulk transport with an order for six of the sector’s biggest vessels. (Splash 247)

Affiliates of Apollo Global Management are acquiring car-parts supplier Panasonic Automotive Systems in a deal valued at $2.05 billion. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Supply-chain tech provider Descartes Systems acquired export compliance software firm OCR for $90 million. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Supply chain technology giant Blue Yonder is acquiring planning software supplier One Network Enterprises for about $839 million. (Forbes)

Canada-based Pride Group filed for bankruptcy protection after a lender sued the trucking and logistics operator. (Today’s Trucking)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on X at @WSJLogistics.