Global shipping industry hit by India’s Covid outbreak

Following the drama on the Suez Canal, the international shipping industry has once again been rocked, this time by India’s huge wave of Covid-19 infections. 

With crews contracting the disease, ports across the world are denying entry to vessels. This does not bode well for the industry as it relies on India for seafarers, causing further disruption. 

Ships have been barred from changing crew members who have recently travelled from India, at ports including Singapore and Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

According to Wilhelmsen Ship Management, a crew provider, Zoushan in China has turned away the entry of ships or crew that has previously visited India or Bangladesh over the past three months. 

Despite quarantining and testing negative before boarding ships, crews coming from India were still testing positive for Covid-19 on ships, according to industry executives.

India has reported more than 410,000 Covid-19 infections, with the surge in cases breaking global records and overwhelming India’s health systems.

Rajesh Unni, chief executive of Singapore based Synergy Marine Group said: “Earlier we had ships that were infected with one or two people. Today, we have a scenario where whole ships are being infected very quickly… which means the ships themselves are immobilized.”

This is just the latest issue in the ongoing container crisis which began to be pressured since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At this time, guaranteeing delivery dates in this moment isn’t something businesses can offer with any certainty given the limitations of the supply chain capabilities worldwide.

As always, the TyTek team will keep you advised and appraised of your order with us. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Source: Financial Times