{"id":29859,"date":"2022-04-13T17:52:04","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T14:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/covid-crisis-spreads-along-chinas-coastline\/29859\/"},"modified":"2022-04-13T17:52:04","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T14:52:04","slug":"covid-crisis-spreads-along-chinas-coastline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/covid-crisis-spreads-along-chinas-coastline\/29859\/","title":{"rendered":"Covid crisis spreads along China\u2019s coastline"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Shanghai, while down south a giant convention centre has been converted to a quarantine hospital as Guangzhou follows a familiar Chinese path towards lockdown.<\/p>\n
Setting alarm bells ringing further for people working in global logistics, Covid-19 cases are being detected in greater numbers at Shanghai\u2019s giant port neighbour, Ningbo.<\/p>\n
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Beijing has faced severe criticism for its zero-Covid policy, which has seen trucking capacity cut dramatically in and out of Shanghai during its 16-day lockdown, as well as warehouses and factories shuttering their doors. Authorities in China\u2019s largest city have tried to ease the situation \u2013 bringing in a new three-tier lifting of lockdown over the weekend \u2013 yet fewer than 7m of Shanghai\u2019s 26m citizens have been released from their home confinement thus far this week. Moreover, as cases continue to rise in the financial hub there is little chance of daily life returning to normal this month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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The impact on export volumes out of China will grow larger<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Commenting via LinkedIn on the latest Covid numbers coming out of Shanghai, Lars Jensen, CEO of liner consultancy Vespucci Maritime, stated: \u201cYet again record levels of Covid in Shanghai meaning no immediate end in sight to production and logistics disruptions. With the outbreak in Guangzhou also leading to shutdowns there, the impact on export volumes out of China will grow larger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jensen warned shippers ought to expect drops in export demand, port omissions and more blank sailings in the near term future as well as Shanghai-bound cargo increasingly being discharged elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Discussing China\u2019s Covid situation on the GMS Podcast yesterday, Peter Sand, chief analyst at freight rate platform Xeneta, said: \u201cHaving a lockdown of Shanghai, which is the most connected port in the whole world, is terrible. It is so much more significant than the lockdown in Shenzhen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sand said that problems at the port are being exacerbated by Covid restrictions on truck drivers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we have seen is that exports have been performing fairly well, whereas imports have come to a complete stop because truck drivers simply can\u2019t get into and out of the port,\u201d Sand told the show hosted by GMS\u2019s chief communication officer, Jon Chaplin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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In Guangzhou, meanwhile, familiar steps are being taken on China\u2019s well-worn path to another municipal lockdown.<\/p>\n
From Monday, all residents in the export powerhouse of 18m people have been asked not to leave the city unless absolutely necessary. All kindergartens, primary and middle schools, colleges and universities have temporarily suspended in-person classes while construction of a new makeshift hospital in the Pazhou International Convention and Exhibition Center is underway.<\/p>\n\n
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Construction workers worked on Sunday at Pazhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, at Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province. Guangzhou is building a makeshift hospital at its Pazhou exhibition center. pic.twitter.com\/aAef4esH91<\/a><\/p>\n