China Partly Shuts World’s Third-Busiest Port on Covid-19 Case in Threat to Global Trade

08/12/2021

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The Straits Times Staff | The Straits Times

China partly shut the world’s third-busiest container port after a worker became infected with Covid-19, threatening to further disrupt global trade.

All inbound and outbound container services at Meishan terminal in Ningbo-Zhoushan port were halted on Wednesday (Aug 11) until further notice due to a “system disruption”, according to a statement on the port’s electronic data platform.

A container terminal worker at the port tested positive for coronavirus, the eastern Chinese city’s government said in a WeChat statement.

This is the second recent shutdown of a Chinese port due to the cornavirus after the closure of Yantian port in Shenzhen from late May for about a month.

The fear is such disruptions strain international shipping and supplies of goods, already hurt by the pandemic’s squeeze on manufacturers. An extended shuttering at Ningbo could be especially damaging for the world economy because commerce usually rises toward the end of the year as companies ship Christmas and holiday products.

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