Major US automakers GM and Ford will reroute their affected shipments following the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge earlier this week.

However, the impact will be minimal, the firms said.

In a statement to news agency Reuters, GM said: "We expect the situation to have minimal impact to our operations. We are working to re-route any vehicle shipments to other ports.”

Ford CFO John Lawler told Reuters the bridge collapse will force the automaker to divert parts to other ports and impact its supply chain.

Stellantis said it is "initiating discussions with our various transportation providers on contingency plans to ensure an uninterrupted flow of vehicles to our customers."

The Port of Baltimore is the busiest port for automotive shipments, with over 847,000 cars and light trucks processed through the port last year alone.

Other automakers Volvo Group, BMW and Volkswagen Group America said the collapse would not have an impact.

Toyota said that while it did not anticipate major disruption as Baltimore is not a primary port for its Northern American operations, “there will be some impact, primarily on vehicle exports.”

The Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed after being struck by a Singapore-based cargo ship.

Two survivors have been pulled from the water, with six still missing and presumed dead.