China’s Covid crackdown sees trucking operations hit by delays

Trucking operations across China are being delayed by more stringent testing requirements for drivers, as local authorities attempt to control new outbreaks of the virus under the nation’s Covid Zero policy.

The operational efficiency of trucking services at major port cities including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Qingdao and Tianjin is expected to be significantly reduced due to the crackdown, AP Moller-Maersk A/S said in an advisory on Monday. Even inland ports along the Yangtze river and in the west Pearl River Delta won’t be spared, the Danish transport giant said.

China’s Covid Zero approach is snarling production lines of everything from petrochemicals to furniture. Goods such as fertilizer and automobile parts are typically trucked around China in containers to sea ports or factories.

Shenzhen will tighten its closed-loop management for cross-border shipping amid a citywide lockdown, its Transport Department said in a statement Sunday. Truck drivers entering the technology and manufacturing hub are now required to hold negative Covid-19 test results within 24 hours, and get tested again upon arrival at the port.

Warehouses in Shenzhen remain shut until March 20, while factories at Dongguan City in nearby Guangdong province have been asked to halt output, according to notices from logistics companies.

Trucking has been affected globally by rising oil prices and industrial action. Last month, truckers blocked a major bridge in Canada, while a group representing small and medium carriers announced a nationwide strike in Spain on Monday that Maersk said may impact its cargo schedules.