Global shipping problems can also affect the Christmas season

According to some experts, the global problems in container shipping will probably not be solved so soon. They could also affect this year's Christmas season. The outbreak of COVID-19 in southern China's Guangdong Province has caused congestion in ports in the region. As a result, there has been a delay in supply, which has further increased tensions in global supply chains. And it can take months to resolve these issues. The problems in Guangdong are just another in a series of difficulties in the industry. Shipping companies are struggling with dramatic fluctuations in demand triggered by the pandemic, as well as the consequences of the recent closure of the Suez Canal. The global nature of the sector and the lack of spare capacity mean that problems in one region can have a "domino" effect worldwide. The Yenchen International Container Terminal is one of many ports in the Shenzhen region, which is an important gateway for exports from the Pearl River Delta, a major Chinese manufacturing and technology center. Since the end of May, the terminal has operated at only a fraction of its normal capacity. Its operation has been limited in an effort to control the spread of the new coronavirus. This has led to "congestion" at sea, with dozens of ships waiting in front of the port until berths are available. In recent days, ships bound for the port of Jen-tien have been diverted to other terminals in the area, but even that did not solve the problems of delivery delays. This "crisis" in the ports of southern China is another blow to the shipping industry after more than a year of struggling with the consequences of the pandemic.