China takes measures to ensure domestic, international waterway transport amid COVID-19

China has taken measures to ensure smooth domestic and international waterway transport, especially cargo transport from ports and terminals, amid the COVID-19 epidemic. 

As Shanghai continues to battle a COVID-19 outbreak, relevant departments are adopting multiple measures to ensure the normal operation of the Port of Shanghai - the world's largest, including guaranteeing shipping space, removing containers and making good use of vehicle permits to ensure the smooth arrival and departure of container trucks. 

"We will try our best to open up channels for cargo transport, urge the transport sector of Shanghai to sort out the information of container goods cargo related to neighboring provinces like Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, strengthen the active contact with relevant provincial-level administrative departments of transport, and urge relevant cargo owners and freight forwarders to move their reefer container goods from the Port of Shanghai as quickly as possible so as to resume the operation of refrigeration houses and remove piles of reefer containers," said Liu Peng, deputy director of the Water TransportBureau of the Ministry of Transport. 

The Ministry of Transport has called for the adoption of the "port-road-destination" closed-loop management of cargo transport and "point-to-point" transport, as well as advocated for the waterway and railway transport of containers. 

Liu said services for international transport, including the guarantee of the transport capacity of foreign trade routes, should be strengthened. 

"We will strengthen the monitoring of the international market of maritime container transport, lead main liner companies to improve the transport capacity of shipping routes, and make a good guarantee of the shipping capacity of our main container lines for foreign trade. We will increase the cargo space for online booking at the spot market and meet the demand of small and medium-sized exporters in booking cargo space. We will try to improve the port's service efficiency and safety level and make every effort to ensure the stability and smoothness of the supply chain of international maritime logistics," said Liu. 

The ministry also called on liner companies and port enterprises to strengthen communication and connectivity with inland transporter companies, goods owners, freight forwarders and container truck drivers, and actively promote online services and the digitalization of port operation documents. 

Source: CCTV

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Xinde Marine News.