Yantian Port COVID Closure

The Yantian closure showed that a COVID-19 outbreak at one major export port could disrupt shipping more than a canal blockage, and it deepened the 2021 container crisis. Yantian's western terminal closed on May 21, 2021, for disinfection and quarantine and reopened on June 10, while the port as a whole fell to about 30% of normal capacity for weeks. Maersk called it a much bigger disruption than the Ever Given, because the port is one of the busiest export gateways in southern China. Ships skipped the port, and delays reached about 16 days. Importers felt it as rolled bookings, later cargo ready dates, and missed retail windows.

• Cargo Ready DateCRDDate the supplier's goods are ready
• Lead TimeTime from purchase order to sellable stock
• Safety StockExtra stock that covers demand and lead time swings

• Ever Given Suez Canal Blockage2021 · A grounded container ship blocks Suez for six days
• 2020-2022 Global Supply Chain Crisis2020–2022 · Congestion, box shortages and record freight rates
• Shanghai COVID Lockdown2022 · A citywide lockdown cripples Shanghai trucking

1. Maersk warns Yantian port congestion a much bigger disruption than Suez Canal closure (Seatrade Maritime) seatrade-maritime.com
2. Yantian operations start improving, but delays of over 16 days remain (Seatrade Maritime) seatrade-maritime.com