News / Shippers brace for delays as coronavirus keeps China's factories closed

Container shippers should expect more blanked sailings and increased freight rates if China’s coronavirus outbreak extends factory closures, while airlines are scrambling to reduce flights into the country.

The government has already extended the lunar new year holiday until 2 February, but workers in major cities like Shanghai and Ningbo have been told to stay home until 10 February.

“Should this additional week-long shut down be extended nationally, it would be no small thing and would represent a tough-to-recover 2% hit to ...