China closed some of the world's third busiest container ports after a worker became infected with Covid-19. The move is seen as disrupting global trade.
All inbound and outbound container services at Ningbo-Zhoushan port’s Meishan terminal were suspended on Wednesday until further notice due to system outages, according to a statement on the port’s electronic data platform.
According to a statement issued by the eastern Chinese city government, a container terminal worker at the port has been confirmed positive for the coronavirus. All meeting contacts of the workers have been identified and quarantined.
This is the second closure of a Chinese port due to a recent coronavirus outbreak, following the closure of the Yantian port in Shenzhen in late May which took about a month to reopen.
The action has disrupted international shipments and this latest closure is also expected to cause disruption as trade volumes typically increase by the end of the year when companies ship Christmas and holiday products.
In addition to closed terminals, containers for delivery through other terminals are also likely to be slow. The port will now only accept containers within two days of the ship’s estimated time of arrival, according to a statement from shipping and logistics company CMA CGM SA.
The closed terminal accounts for about 25% of container cargo through the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, according to a statement from security consultant GardaWorld, who said the suspension could adversely affect the handling and delivery of cargo.