China announced a loosening of its zero tolerance Covid restrictions this week, which has coincided with an upturn in current demand.
The new rules, which include the scrapping of PCR testing on public transport, come three years after the start of the pandemic in Wuhan, and follow a series of rare protests against the ruling Communist Party.
However, testing has not been removed completely and with vaccination rates remaining low there are widespread concerns that China’s health system is ill prepared for a wave of infections.
Truck drivers, operating in and out of the ports, are still required to submit a 24-hour Covid test at this stage, which has been responsible for delays in transport operations.
The recent upturn in demand has been largely attributed to exporters trying to get orders out ahead of Chinese New Year. With just three weeks between the Western New Year and CNY, fears of exports being caught up in the holiday period have been rising.
We understand that some factories are considering closing early due to the ongoing difficulty workers have in travelling between cities and provinces. Therefore, as we have been suggesting on recent posts, it is worthwhile planning ahead for CNY now.
If you have any questions regarding the above, then Westbound are here to help. So, please do not hesitate to contact us.
