Tropical Storm Kompasu, which is hitting the coast in southern China, is causing further problems in the supply chain. Due to the storm, it is temporarily impossible to load and unload containers at the Yantian port in Shenzhen, the technology capital of China.
The number of ships waiting to enter one of the world’s busiest ports has risen to 67, according to data from Bloomberg news agency. That is the highest number since the end of August.
Kompasu is the second tropical storm to hit the coast of southern China in a short time after Cyclone Lionrock, which caused problems in Hong Kong, among other places, over the weekend. Bottlenecks at container terminals around the world are putting pressure on supply chains. They are already having a hard time keeping up with the demand.
Corona outbreaks in ports and shortages of shipping containers and labour are exacerbating the problems, as were a number of disruptions in Chinese ports earlier this year.
China has a very strict policy regarding coronavirus. The country previously stopped port activities after some dock workers were found to be infected. A previous typhoon also caused disruptions in the port of Shanghai.