Thai export products pile up as transportation in China comes to temporary standstill

China has put Hubei province’s Wuhan city – from where the coronavirus originated – under lockdown, banning transportation of any kind to prevent the virus from spreading and allowing the entry of only certain products.
In other provinces, Chinese New Year holidays were extended by the government to February 10 and numerous companies have closed or allowed their employees to work from home.
Thai National Shippers’ Council vice chairman Visit Limluecha said the extended period of holidays would affect companies that have ordered products from firms that have temporarily closed.
“Port drivers and transportation companies have stopped working during the holiday period, while cargo transportation has come to a standstill until February 10,” he explained. “This has led to the transport of products being paralysed in China, and several items have piled up at the ports.”
“Chinese importers have suspended bringing in perishable products and this may continue as long as China is unclear about when the coronavirus situation will end,” he said.
Visit therefore advised Thai exporters to check with their Chinese partners when the goods can be transported to avoid operational problems, which may increase expenditure.
He suggested that relevant agencies manage ships or shipping times after February 10, when the demand for products will likely increase sharply, leading to crowded sea traffic.