The new coronavirus outbreak in China has led to the closure of multiple key port cities. This is not the first time that China has had to pause operations on ports due to the coronavirus. As of April 29, reports have shown that the average two-week shipment volume load that is traveling to the United States from China is down by 20%. The trucking companies are bound to feel the impacts of what is going on at these key ports. The longer this goes on the longer shipments and freight will be delayed. This means the delay of raw materials coming from China creating a ripple effect of situations. Once China has the opportunity to re-open these ports, it is hard to say how long it will take to work through the back log.
An estimated 2-4 weeks is expected before ports open, which in trucking operations, is a very long time. Some companies can order and expect shipment as early as within a week. So, a two-week delay can slow things down tremendously. The lockdown specifically in Shanghai is hurting the supply chain industry immensely as it is one of the largest commercial ports that China has. China has had a 237% rise in import delays and the virus, along with quarantined workers, is created a negative domino effect on the efficiency of moving goods in and out of China. The multiple factors impacting the supply chain across the world are something to follow considering the continuous domino effect it will have.
