Major Port of China Still Partly Locked After Corona Infection

The large Chinese container port Ningbo-Zhoushan near Shanghai is still largely closed. One of the terminals of the third busiest port in the world was closed by authorities when an employee was diagnosed with corona.

Meanwhile, concerns are growing about the impact of the shutdown on trade flows in the region.

There has been no activity at the Meishan terminal since Wednesday. Both the inbound and outbound container services are at a standstill. Market experts estimate that the terminal is good for handling a quarter of container freight in the port. The port itself says that ships are being diverted and that capacity has been made available elsewhere to keep goods flowing.

A spokesman for the port said on Monday it had no new information. No new corona infections have been reported since the first case.

Several shipping companies are now taking measures. Taiwanese shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport warns customers of possible “port congestion”. Orient Overseas Container Line, headquartered in Hong Kong, advises customers to check capacity before shipping containers. Some of the container ships of the Danish Maersk are avoiding Ningbo-Zhoushan for the time being.

Since the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan has been brought under control, China has been following a strict policy on Covid-19. Strict measures apply, especially at strategic locations such as ports. The problems in China come on top of the logistical challenges in the wake of the crisis. The days-long blockade of the Suez Canal last spring also further disrupted trade flows.