GLOBAL THIRD-BUSIEST PORT CLOSED

Ningbo Port

CHINA SHUTS THIRD-BUSIEST PORT DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

The world’s third busiest container port has been partially shut down after a worker became infected with Corona virus. All inbound and outbound container services at Meishan terminal in Ningbo-Zhoushan port were halted on Wednesday until further notice said a statement from the port.

The eastern Chinese city government confirmed an employee at the port tested positive for Corona virus and all close contacts of the infected have been identified and are in quarantine. The closed terminal accounts for about 25% of container cargo through the port and the suspension of services could severely impact cargo handling and shipping.

This closure is coming after the recent shutdown of Yantian port in Shenzhen from late May for about a month. There are fears that this new disruption will further strain shipping and supplies of goods, dampening growth and driving up prices especially because seaborne trade usually rises towards the end of the year as companies ship Christmas and holiday products.

According to the city’s Custom Bureau, the biggest exports through Ningbo in the first half of the year were electronic goods, textiles and low and high-end manufactured goods. Top imports included crude oil, electronics, raw chemicals and agricultural products.

The port was the third busiest globally in terms of container shipments in 2020 and the second busiest in China after Shanghai, according to maritime publication Lloyd’s List.