Return to normal

Shanghai is an important international gateway for imports and exports, with the city playing a vital role in industrial and supply chains not only in the Yangtze River Delta region, but also nationwide and overseas.

Zhang Wei, the city's vice-mayor, said during a news conference on April 22 that customs clearance and transportation efficiency have fallen below normal levels during the current outbreak of COVID-19.

As of April 30, Shanghai Port had restored 80 percent of its pre-pandemic capacity, while the average daily container throughout last month at the city's Yangshan Port recovered to 85 percent of the level in the first quarter, according to public data.

Police at Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection has upgraded and optimized the cargo risk management system and simplified the customs clearance platform. As a result, cargo flight arrivals and departures rose by 49.6 percent from the same period a month ago, reaching a total of 1,980 flights, according to the station.

Industry insiders and experts said many challenges lie ahead for a complete recovery of industrial and supply chains.

Qi, from Guangzhou Civil Aviation College, said: "The recovery of supply chains needs every single element along industrial chains to flow smoothly, be it raw materials, parts, facilities and equipment, or production, assembly, trade, logistics, and others. To reach that point, we have also to ensure that the rules for pandemic prevention and containment are strictly followed."

Due to supply chain complexities, production at Tesla and other major automotive manufacturers faces a number of hurdles on the road back to normal operations.

For example, citing the electric vehicle giant's financial report, CBN said Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory lost the output of some 50,000 vehicles－about one month's capacity－due to the pandemic.