British Columbia ports could feel sideswipe from coronavirus in China

So far volumes remain constant at the Port of Prince Rupert
though notes from China could suggest some impact to
come as coronavirus situation continues

Around the world, the first priority for all is to ensure that those affected by the novel coronavirus in China receive the best in medical care that can be offered; along with the continuation of measures to control the spread of the virus from the hotspot of Wuhan from which the now global outbreak was first reported.

However, another concern in the very near future will be what kind of economic impact that the virus will have both in China and throughout the global supply chain, which Prince Rupert is a key North American gateway partner.

Already, less than one month into the first public reports of the outbreak, the Chinese economy has begun to feel the effects, with entire cities under lockdown, returns to employment deferred to some other date to come and ports and factories coming to a complete stand still as a result.

And while the Chinese New Year traditionally sees a slowing level of economic indicators, the additional issues of the coronavirus have caught the eye of many business and transportation observers.

Some snapshots of the potential impact of the coronavirus on the economy can be viewed below:

Global shipping industry disrupted by spreading coronavirus
Coronavirus disrupts global container shipping
Commodity Chaos Deepens as China buyers invoke Force Majeure
China LNG Force Majeure rejected as virus chaos sparks dispute
Could the coronavirus epidemic trigger a China-led global recession?
Shipping infected by coronavirus (audio)

So far, the Port of Prince Rupert has not seen any significant change in shipment levels observed at any of the terminal locations on the North Coast.

In an email correspondence on Thursday, Monika Côté, the Manager of Corporate Communications at the Port of Prince Rupert noted that so far there has been no impact on volumes at the Port.

On another theme related to the current coronavirus concerns, that of any health or travel protocols for arriving vessels, she noted that the Port will be advised by Canadian authorities should any restrictions be placed on the transportation sector.

"The Port of Prince Rupert has not experienced any impact to its volume due to coronavirus. PRPA will be notified by Canadian authorities should any travel restrictions or protocols be imposed on the international transportation sector. At this time, PRPA has yet to receive any advisories related to coronavirus."

How long the current schedule of shipments and arrivals will remain constant and on track will be something to watch for, that as the coronavirus impact begins to expand its reach to other partners in the global supply chain.

Those numbers will first be noticeable from the Port of Prince Rupert's Departures/Arrivals listings which track the daily movements in and out of Prince Rupert harbour and the port facilities.

For more notes of interest on the Port see our archive page here.