Yantian port to reopen on 24th June
The Yantian port area (YICT) will resume normal operations from 00:00 on the 24th June, but it will take weeks to work through the backlog of container stacks in the terminal, with productivity impacted across Shenzhen, Chiwan, Shekou, and Nansha.
Hutchison Ports’ Yantian international container terminal announced it would resume full operation from 24th June, with effective controls of Covid-19 in place in the port areas.
All berths, including the west port area, which was closed for a three-week period from the 21st May to 10 June, will essentially resume normal operations.
Numbers of loaded gate-in containers will be increased to 9,000 per day, and the pick-up of empty of containers and import laden containers will return to normal and export containers will resume normal with ETA – 7 (within 7 days of the vessel’s ETA) .
Since the COVID-19 outbreak at Yantian port area on 21st May, the port’s operating capacity had declined to 30% of the normal levels and blank sailings were up 300%, with container rates soaring
Liner services have been omitting or diverting calls at the port, in disruption described by Maersk as being much bigger than the closure of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given grounding in March.
Delays for berthing at Yantian continue to be reported as 16 days or longer, and congestion is growing at the nearby ports of Shekou, Hong Kong, and Nansha, with vessel reportedly waiting two to four days on the 21st June.
Even with Yantian resuming full operations, congestion and its impact on container shipping schedules will take weeks to clear.
Yantian port will continue to implement strict epidemic prevention and control, and promote production accordingly.
Daily handling capacity of Yantian could reach 27,000 teu containers with all 11 berths returning to normal operation.