John Whelan: Irish exports caught in quagmire of disrupted Chinese ports

China is working to eliminate the spread of the Omicron variant with ultra-strict lockdowns and border controls

Fri, 15 Apr, 2022 - 20:23

An expert in Irish and international trade, John Whelan is a former Chief Executive of the Irish Exporters Association, a role he held for more than a decade and previously served as an export industry adviser to the AIB Bank Group.

Almost 500 container ships are stuck in congestion outside Shanghai and other major Chinese ports, amid China’s continuing efforts to eliminate the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant with ultra-strict lockdowns and border controls. The lockdown is aggravating disruptions to global trade amid the country’s worst outbreak yet.

In Shanghai, which is the world’s busiest container port and in lockdown for more than two weeks, shortages of staff to unload and truck drivers to transport goods from the hundreds of ships at anchor have significantly extended lead times. Sales orders for Chinese businesses and consumers have been delayed.