Ningbo Partial Closure Puts Pressure on Other Ports in China
The partial closure of the Chinese container port Ningbo-Zhoushan due to a corona outbreak is causing logistical problems in other ports as more and more ships have to divert. It is still not clear how long the measures in the port will last.
In the ports of Shanghai and Hong Kong, for example, there is increasing congestion.
One of the terminals of Ningbo, the third busiest container port in the world, was closed by authorities when an employee was diagnosed with corona. The terminal is suitable for handling a quarter of the container freight in the port.
Ports in China had just been relieved of the pressure following the closure of Yantian Port in Shenzhen. It closed in May due to a corona outbreak. The number of ships anchored off the coast of Xiamen on China’s southeast coast rose from six early this month to 24 on Tuesday.
The number of ships willing to wait and anchor at the shared ports of Shanghai and Ningbo is currently 141, sixty more than the average for the period April to August.
The shipping sector has been plagued by several disruptions this year. These have caused delays in global supply chains. However, the problems have also caused freight rates to rise to record highs. The issues ranged from a huge container ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal for several days in March to virus outbreaks in Southeast Asia and China, which reduced productivity in ports.
