Typhoon leaves vessel delays in its wake as ports in China, Taiwan reopen

Typhoon leaves vessel delays in its wake as ports in China, Taiwan reopen

Shippers and carriers in south China and Taiwan are facing days of delays caused by Typhoon Koinu, which barreled across the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, shutting at least eight ports and affecting more than 20 mainline vessels.

Koinu is the second major typhoon to hit southern China in the past five weeks after Typhoon Saola hit the region in early September, leading to vessel schedule delays of about a week.

Ports closed by the typhoon included Hong Kong, Yantian, Shekou, Chiwan, Da Chan Bay, Fuzhou and Nansha — the main trade gateway for Guangzhou, capital of southern China’s Guangdong province powerhouse and Maersk’s regional hub. Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s main container port city, also closed for more than two days due to the typhoon.

The vessels “have slightly changed their routes to avoid the storm, traveled slower and had delays,” the Hapag-Lloyd spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for ONE confirmed the vessels altered their speed and approach to ports in southern China “to keep a safe distance and approach for safety reasons.”

Both Hongkong International Terminals and Modern Terminals confirmed cargo handling operations at their facilities at Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung container port were halted for about 33 hours, gradually resuming late Monday afternoon.

Tag JOC.com