Meishan terminal at China’s Ningbo port, which is the third-busiest port in the world, finally resumed operations after being shut down for two weeks because of Covid-19, media reports said. Ningbo port is the second busiest port in China and accounts for about a fifth of the traffic.
Jiang Yipeng, vice general manager at Ningbo Zhoushan Port said that the reopening came after a fourth round of mass Covid-19 testing in the Meishan district showed negative results.
He told the media, “We require crews from international vessels not to come out unless necessary, otherwise the port could terminate operations with the vessel and reject it to call at any terminal at Ningbo port in the future.”
The closure of the Meishan terminal at Ningbo port has led to logjams at ports across China and raised concerns about disruption in global trade.
China recorded a rise in the container and cargo throughput volumes during the first half of the year, according to China’s Ministry of Transport. Chinese port handled 7.64 billion tons of cargo, up by 13 percent year-on-year. However, export was down during the period as a result of the pandemic.
The growth comes despite supply chain disruptions and the Suez Canal disruption in March. Sun Wenjian, spokesperson of the ministry said that China’s container throughput at its export ports rose 15 percent year-on-year to 140 million TEU in 2021.