Ningbo Zhoushan Port All-Stop... Concerns Over Second Logistics Crisis

Port operations halted in early hours of the 11th due to COVID-19 confirmed case among dockworkers
With typhoon followed by COVID-19, port normalization expected to take about a month

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Concerns have been raised that China's logistics system could come to a halt again as loading and unloading operations at Meishan Container Terminal in Ningbo Zhoushan Port, one of China's largest ports in Zhejiang Province, have been suspended.

The Chinese state-run Global Times reported on the 12th that loading and unloading operations at Meishan Container Terminal in Ningbo Zhoushan Port were temporarily suspended on the 11th after one of the workers tested positive for COVID-19. The Global Times added that all operations at the port were halted from 3:30 a.m. on the 11th, and the resumption time will be announced later.

The media outlet expressed concerns that the container loading waiting time is expected to increase from the usual 1 to 2 days to more than 7 days due to the worker's COVID-19 positive diagnosis, potentially causing serious delays in container loading and unloading.

An official from Ningbo Port said, "With the escalation of quarantine measures, it may take up to a month for the port system to normalize," adding that this could become a burden on China's trade.

The Global Times reported that about 245 people, including the infected employee, close contacts, and secondary contacts, are currently in quarantine, and all workplaces related to the confirmed cases have been halted.

Another port official said, "The port was already experiencing delays due to closure caused by a typhoon at the end of July, and now a COVID-19 case has emerged," adding, "The shutdown of the port system is highly likely to lead to congestion at other ports."

The port's cargo handling capacity last year reached 1.2 billion tons and is known to be connected to 600 ports in 100 countries.

In May, a COVID-19 case at Yantian Port in Guangdong Province caused problems in China's logistics system for about a month. At that time, nearly 60,000 empty containers were not returned from countries including the United States and Australia, causing sea freight rates to nearly triple.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.