Port closure in China adds to world's shipping woes

The Meishan terminal at Ningbo port was shut last week after a dock worker became infected with the Delta variant of Covid-19.

The Meishan terminal at Ningbo Port in China accounts for about a quarter of the port’s capacity.

The partial closure of the world’s third-busiest container port is worsening congestion at other major Chinese ports, as ships divert away from Ningbo amid uncertainty over how long virus control measures in the city will last.

In nearby Shanghai and in Hong Kong, congestion is once again increasing after dropping due to the reopening of Yantian port in Shenzhen, which shut in May for a separate outbreak. The number of container ships anchored off Xiamen on China’s southeast coast rose to 24 from six at the start of the month, according to shipping data.