THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT
The US is the one of the world's largest consumers of cobalt, especially for aerospace and other high-tech electronic, automotive and medical applications. The Port of Baltimore plays a critical role in the global cobalt trade, serving as the main entry point for over half of US cobalt imports. The indefinite closure of this key hub has affected cobalt supply, pricing, and the broader global cobalt supply chain. The disruption to cobalt imports through Baltimore has exposed the "frailty of the import supply chain" for critical minerals and metals into the US.