AN ACR ACFT WING STRUCK A BAGGAGE CART DURING TAXI FROM THE GATE. THE TUG DRIVER HAD COMMUNICATED THAT THE CARTS WERE PRESENT; BUT THE FO DID NOT SEE THE CARTS WHILE CLRING THE R; PRIOR TO TAXI. THE MARSHALLER ALLEGEDLY GAVE THE FLC A WAVE-OFF SALUTE BEFORE THE WING STRUCK THE CART.

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INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER PUSHBACK FROM GATE AT MSP. WHEN ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK A REASONABLE DISTANCE THE TUG ENDED UP ON THE L SIDE OF COCKPIT AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE TO ME. AT THIS POINT THE TUG DRIVER STATED TO ME 'BAGGAGE CARTS ON R.' I REPLIED 'OK THANKS.' BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO INQUIRE FURTHER HE DISCONNECTED THE INTERPHONE AND BEGAN DRIVING AWAY IN REVERSE. WHEN THE TUG HAD BACKED AWAY ENOUGH TO WHERE I THOUGHT HE COULD SEE THE R BAGGAGE BIN AREA; I RAISED MY HAND TO MY FOREHEAD TO INITIATE THE WAVE-OFF SALUTE. THE MARSHALLER; RIDING NEXT TO THE TUG DRIVER; RAISED HIS HAND TO HIS HEAD AND RESPONDED TO MY WAVE-OFF INITIATION. AT THIS POINT THE BEFORE TAXI CHK WAS READ. I NOTICED THE FO CHK RIGHT AND THEN I CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. APPROX 10-15 SECONDS ELAPSED BTWN RECEIPT OF WAVE-OFF AND ACFT MOVEMENT. WHEN TAXI CLRNC WAS RECEIVED I SIMULTANEOUSLY CALLED FOR FLAPS 20 DEGS AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE L. AS THE TURN COMMENCED I FELT A SHUDDER LIKE THE NOSEWHEEL SKIDDING AND STOPPED. AT THIS POINT THE FLT ATTENDANT AND A FREIGHT ACR PLT ENTERED AND SAID WE HAD HIT A BAGGAGE CART. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 324809: THE PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL; AND ENGS WERE STARTED AS THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP. THE TUG DRIVER MENTIONED THAT A BAGGAGE CART HAD PULLED UP AND MORE BAGS WERE BEING LOADED. HE THEN DISCONNECTED. THE MARSHALLER; ON THE TUG MOVING FORWARD OFF OUR L FRONT; GAVE US A WAVE-OFF. WE RAN THE BEFORE TAXI CHK; GOT CLRNC TO TAXI AND BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD. WE THEN HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THOUGHT PERHAPS WE HAD BLOWN A TIRE. A FREIGHT ACR PLT RIDING IN THE CABIN CAME FORWARD AND TOLD US WE HAD HIT A BAGGAGE CART. AT THIS TIME I (FO) OBSERVED A BAGGAGE TUG WITH ONE CART POSITIONED NORMALLY AND A SECOND ON ITS SIDE APPROX EVEN WITH THE COCKPIT AND OUT ABOUT AS FAR AS THE WINGTIP. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. ON EXTERNAL INSPECTION WE DETERMINED THE R WING VORTILLON WAS DAMAGED AND THE R LEADING EDGE WAS DENTED. I (FO) HAD CLRED NORMALLY TO THE R BEFORE WE MOVED AND HAD THEN LOOKED BACK TO THE L AT THE TUG DRIVING AWAY. IN CONVERSATION WITH THE FREIGHT ACR PLT; HE STATED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE BAGGAGE CART FROM INSIDE THE COCKPIT AS IT WAS IN VERY CLOSE TO THE FUSELAGE. APPARENTLY; WE HIT THE CART AS HE TRIED TO DRIVE AWAY. PERCEPTIONS: THE POS OF THE MARSHALLER PREVENTED HIM FROM CLRING THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. THE BAGGAGE CART WAS EXTREMELY CLOSE TO ACFT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IT FROM THE COCKPIT.