Prime Freight’s summary of a December 2021 report by The Loadstar. Read the original for the full story.
In December 2021 Covid lockdowns in China’s Zhejiang province closed factories and tightened the rules for truck drivers serving Ningbo-Zhoushan, one of the world’s busiest ports.
Citing Reuters, The Loadstar reported that 20 listed companies in the province had suspended operations, including battery, textile and pharmaceutical makers. Ningbo’s Zhenhai petrochemical district was locked down, and Shangyu district in nearby Shaoxing was partly locked down, with only essential and PPE producers allowed to operate. Chinese media said textile firms were struggling to reach the port because drivers wanted to avoid quarantine, and Ningbo had tightened access to its container terminals based on where drivers had been.
A local supply chain manager said the port itself had not yet been affected, but testing requirements would slow inland trucking slightly. MarineTraffic showed about 30 container ships waiting off Ningbo. Hangzhou was partly locked down with hundreds of flights cancelled, and ANZ Research expected the main impact to fall on fibre and textile output, comparable to the power rationing of the previous autumn.
What it meant for shippers
Outbreaks near a port often hit cargo before they hit the terminal, through factory closures and trucking rules. Confirming cargo-ready dates and driver access with suppliers is the first step when a lockdown is announced.