China’s zero-Covid policies causing ‘major’ knock-on effects for snarled global supply chains

China has continued to prohibit crew changes for foreign crew and recently imposed as much as a seven-week mandatory quarantine for returning Chinese seafarers

Shipowners and managers have to divert ships, delaying shipments and crew changes, adding to the global supply chain crisis

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The world’s biggest exporter, China is a key hub for the shipping industry. Photo: AP

Published: 10:14am, 25 Nov 2021

China’s increasingly extreme zero-Covid policies are standing in the way of a full recovery for the shipping industry and prolonging a crisis that has snarled ports and emptied shelves worldwide.

In its attempts to keep the coronavirus out, China has continued to prohibit crew changes for foreign crew and recently imposed as much as a seven-week mandatory quarantine for returning Chinese seafarers.

Even vessels that have refreshed their crew elsewhere have to wait two weeks before they are allowed to port in China.

To comply, shipowners and managers have had to divert ships, delaying shipments and crew changes, adding to the supply chain crisis.

China’s restrictions cause knock-on effects. Any restrictions to ship operations have an accumulative impact on the supply chain and cause real disruptions

Guy Platten

“China’s restrictions cause knock-on effects,” said Guy Platten, the secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents shipowners and operators.

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