The container shipping industry, a bellwether for international trade, has been blown off course by the coronavirus, which brought parts of China to a standstill before spreading around the world, leading container lines to re-route cargoes and reduce calls to Chinese ports.
While China, where the virus emerged, and other Asian countries have started to recover probably faster than some had expected, other continents are now more affected. Space is now at a premium.
Analysts warn container shipping volumes probably would weaken in the second and third quarter as the Western hemisphere becomes the focus of the outbreak.
Shipping Containers in Short Supply
A shipping container shortage that’s left everything from Thai curry to Canadian peas idling in ports may be about to get a whole lot worse as China steps up its coronavirus precautions on incoming vessels.
Unloading holdups in China and delays on the return of vessels when the outbreak was largely limited to Asia has left shippers waiting for hundreds of thousands of containers to move their products. But as the disease goes global, the port of Fuzhou is starting to quarantine incoming ships from countries including the U.S. for 14 days. That threatens to exacerbate the container crunch.
International vessels arriving Australia
Vessels and crew arriving into Brisbane Port are needing to observe a 14 day isolation period until further notice. This means that a vessel can berth if the vessel has not been on the water for 14 days or more but the crew must remain on board (and observe strict rules).
Take a look at ABF Commercial Vessel Advice here.
The situation worldwide is constantly changing and we appreciate your understanding during this time.
