26-04-2022 Shanghai maritime sector starts to resume operations, By Xin Chen, Lloyd’s List
More Shanghai-based manufacturing companies are set to resume production as the city struggles with an economic slowdown. Large shipping and shipbuilding firms are among those deemed as key businesses that have been requested by the municipal governments to resume operations.
They will adopt the so-called closed-loop management system to keep staff working and living within the companies’ facilities and have submitted detailed plans about guarding against the spread of coronavirus, pending reviews of the local health authorities. “As the pandemic situation improves in Shanghai, it is imperative for more enterprises to resume production in an orderly manner,” the government said.
Data from Shanghai Statistics Bureau and National Statistics Bureau shows the city’s gross domestic product grew 3.1% year on year for the first quarter, compared with 4.8% growth nationally. Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of state conglomerate China State Shipbuilding Corp, said its Changxing Island-based shipyard has officially restored production with the approval from Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization. Its sister company Jiangnan Shipyard said last week that it will gradually resume operation.
“Our first priority is to guarantee the production of key projects,” Hudong-Zhonghua said in a statement, adding it aims to deliver the two 80,000 cu m liquefied natural gas carrier for Malaysia’s Petronas on time. “We are planning to conduct the gas trial delivery of the two vessels by late May.”
CSSC Holdings, the Shanghai-listed unit of CSSC, has had 30% of its employees returned to the city’s offices after working from home for one month, according to the parent group. The unit oversees several important yards, including Jiangnan Shipyard and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding.
Cosco Shipping Lines also said it has partly reopened the Shanghai counter services in response to the government request. The services are now available in two offices, in the Pudong and Puxi areas, despite a citywide lockdown that remains in place.