China blocks Shanghai city, adding tension to supply chains
30
Mar
Last Sunday, March 27, China announced that the city of Shanghai would go into lockdown, starting from March 28, marking the largest city blockade in China since the pandemic. Covid broke out more than two years ago.
For the shipping industry, port congestion – already at a very high level – is expected to continue to increase in the coming days, while outside China, ports in Europe and North America will have to suffer even greater consequences when the megacity returns to normal capacity – and this blockade comes at a time when global supply chains are suffering the consequences of the pandemic. The blockade lasted 7 days in Shenzhen (Shenzen) to southern China earlier this month.
The authorities decided to divide the whole city of Shanghai into two parts, using the Huangpu River (Huangpu) to impose a partial blockade. The city recorded 2,631 new asymptomatic cases on Saturday, March 26, accounting for nearly 60% of China’s total new asymptomatic cases that day, plus 47 new symptomatic cases. .
Pudong (Pudong), the eastern part of the city, will be completely locked down from March 28 to Friday April 1 when the Government conducts testing throughout the area, while the area is closed. The western region, Puxi, will be under lockdown from April 1 to 5.
Public transport will be suspended, as well as operations at most factories in the blockade area. However, essential workers, including port workers, will be exempt from the stay-at-home ban.
