Prime Freight’s summary of a December 2021 report by Supply Chain Digital. Read the original for the full story.
In mid-December 2021 Covid lockdowns in China’s Zhejiang province closed factories and made it harder for trucks to reach Ningbo-Zhoushan, the world’s largest port by cargo tonnage.
Citing Reuters, Supply Chain Digital reported that 20 listed companies in the province had suspended operations, among them battery, textile and pharmaceutical makers, some in Ningbo’s Zhenhai petrochemical district. Factories other than those making essentials and protective equipment were reported to have been told to stop production.
Trucking was also affected. Chinese media said textile firms could not get goods to the port because drivers feared being quarantined, and Ningbo was limiting terminal access for drivers according to where they had recently been. MarineTraffic showed about 30 container ships already waiting outside the port. Zhejiang was the most serious of several outbreaks, with new cases, including Omicron, also found in Tianjin and Guangzhou, and observers expected congestion to rise.
What it meant for shippers
When the inland leg into a major port slows, export cargo can miss its vessel even while the terminal keeps working. Allowing extra days for pickup and gate-in at Ningbo, and staying close to origin agents on local driver rules, were the practical responses.