The spreading coronavirus situation is evolving very quickly, and the sickness carries with it challenges and disruptions to supply chains in China.
Authorities in China imposed travel restrictions in Wuhan and ten other cities prior to Chinese New Year, which began on January 25, 2020. The Chinese government has extended the traditionally week-long national holiday to February 2nd for most areas, but municipalities in Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen will have a further extension through February 9th. Other areas are expected to follow a similar direction.
Chinese ports, airports, rail services, and Customs offices are not yet affected—except for those servicing Wuhan. Congestion and delays are expected due to the limited number of trailers available. Shipments that arrived at the terminal before the Chinese New Year holiday with a planned sailing will be loaded as scheduled. However, it is currently unclear if bookings with planned deliveries after the holiday will be affected.
Most businesses in Hong Kong resumed work today, January 29, 2020, and those in Taiwan will resume work tomorrow. Deringer’s overseas partners are planning a resumption to work in compliance with government guidelines. If you have questions about a particular shipment, please contact the Deringer service center managing your shipments.