Generally speaking, it is required by most Chinese ports that if crew changes took place at an overseas port less than 7 days before arriving Chinese ports, a ship-wide nucleic acid test shall be conducted, and cargo operation might be affected pending test results. However, some ports require more days such as Ningbo. Details are listed as below. 

 

1. Dalian Office (Ports: Dalian, Yingkou, Jinzhou, Panjin, Huludao, Dandong)
 

If the vessel had crew change at a foreign port within 7 days, crews shall take nucleic tests as soon as berthing. Cargo discharge operation can only be permitted if the results of nucleic acids tests are all negative. In our case, if crews were changed 25 days ago, no restrictions shall be implemented.

 

2. Tianjin Office (Ports: Tianjin, Caofeidian, Jingtang, Huanghua, Qinhuangdao)
 

At present, there is no restriction in Tianjin port if crews were changed 7 days ago. If the ship berths within 7 days, the new crews are required to take nucleic acid tests and cargo operation shall not commence until negative results are available.
 

For Jingtang Port, all new crews are required to take nucleic tests. Discharging operation can proceed after signing a non-contact guarantee letter. Loading operation can proceed after nucleic results show negative. 
 

For Caofeidian Port, new crews are not required to take nucleic acid tests. Loading and discharging operation can only proceed after rendering the guarantee letter.

 

3. Qingdao Office (Ports: Yantai, Qingdao, Lianyungang, Rizhao, Weihai)
 

If the vessel had crew change at a foreign port within 7 days, crews shall take nucleic tests as soon as berthing. In Lianyungang port, cargo operation may proceed before the test results are available, subject to a guarantee letter is rendered. 

 

4. Shanghai Office (Ports: Yangshan, Changshu, Changzhou, Jiangyin, Nanjing, Nantong, Taicang, Taizhou, Yangzhou, Yangkou, Yizheng, Zhenjiang, Zhangjiagang, etc.)
 

If the vessel had crew change at a foreign port within 7 days, crews shall take nucleic tests as soon as berthing. If the vessel is scheduled to conduct ship maintenance/repair in a shipyard, nucleic tests at its previous port of call are required. 
 

Cargo discharge operation can only be permitted if nucleic acid tests are all negative.
 

Therefore, in our case there would be no additional restrictions for Member’s vessel who changed crew 25 days before arriving Shanghai and ports alongside Yangtze River. The crew should monitor their health condition carefully and will be asked to provide temp records and other documents according to agent's advice before applying for vessel's entry/berthing.

 

5. Xiamen Office (Ports: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Putian, Fuzhou, Shantou, Ningde, Haikou, Lingao, Yangpu, Basuo, Sanya, Chaozhou, Shanwei)
 

If the vessel had crew change at a foreign port within 7 days, crews shall take nucleic tests as soon as berthing. Cargo operation might be permitted when the nucleic acid results are negative.
 

During cargo operation, crew members may not be allowed to go on deck, and are not permitted to disembark.
 

Given such, in our case there shall be no additional restrictions for Member’s vessel which had crew change 25 days before arriving at Xiamen port or other ports in Fujian Province. The crew should monitor their health condition carefully and be prepared to render temperature records and other documents as required by the agent before applying for entry/berthing.

 

6. Ningbo Office (Ports: Ningbo, Zhoushan)
 

At Ningbo port, if crew change took place at an overseas port less than 35 days, ship-wide nucleic acid tests shall be taken. Before getting the test results, cargo operation can proceed provided that all formalities are cleared. 
 

At Zhoushan port, whether a vessel can berth is subject to relevant authorities’ appraisal and approval. If crew change took place less than 7 days, the vessel shall not be permitted to berth in most cases. Nucleic tests are compulsory for vessels scheduled to change Chinese crews or conduct ship maintenance/repair in Zhoushan. Before getting the test results, vessels have little chance of getting authorities’ approval to commence cargo operation. 

 

7. Guangzhou Office (Ports: Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Yangjiang, Fangcheng, Qinzhou, Beihai, Zhuhai, Huizhou, Maoming, Jiangmen, Taishan, Zhongshan)
 

Nucleic acid tests may be required if the vessel had crew change at foreign ports within 7 days. In addition, if the vessel is scheduled to conduct ship maintenance/repair in a shipyard, nucleic test results at its previous port of call are required. 
 

Since COVID-19 restrictions are prone to changing from time to time, please feel free to contact us or our local offices before calling a specific port.

Source: HUATAI

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