What’s new: The Port of Shanghai is maintaining normal operations with no serious congestion, the port operator said in response to concerns over disruptions at the world’s busiest container port amid a worsening domestic Covid-19 flare-up.
Since March 28, the average wait time for container ships to dock at the port has been less than 24 hours, and the number of ships queuing to load or unload is fewer than 10 vessels, the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) said Saturday on a social media account.
The situation has significantly improved over 2021, the port said. All port units are operating 24 hours a day unless affected by extreme weather, it said.
The context: A picture of a backlog of container ships at the Shanghai Port circulated online, sparking fears that congestion would disrupt supply chains as the city battles its worst pandemic outbreak. Some reports said more than 300 vessels were struck at the port waiting to be loaded or unloaded.
The SIPG said the picture didn’t reflect the true situation at the port as it was generated by the automatic identification system and contains all types of vessels operating near the port.
The Port of Shanghai, which handles 17% of China’s total ocean shipping volume, is a key barometer of China's foreign trade and logistics chain. The port’s container throughput reached 47.03 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) last year.
As Shanghai toughened virus control measures and embarked on a two-phase citywide lockdown, the port struggled with delays for trucks and cargo barges to load and unload cargo.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bob.simison@caixin.com)
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