(Yicai Global) June 24 -- Yantian Port, the fourth biggest container port in the world, resumed full operations today after an outbreak of Covid-19 in Shenzhen last month led to a month-long partial lockdown, but it will take some time for the huge backlog of containers piled up at the port to clear.

The outbreak is under control in the port area and all terminals, including the West Port, are operating as normal, operator Hutchison Port Holdings said yesterday.

The chaos started on May 21 when one asymptomatic case of Covid-19 was reported at the port, leading to a partial lockdown that reduced the port’s daily capacity to 30 percent of its normal level. Ships had to wait 16 days to dock at Yantian, compared with just half a day before, industry insiders said.

There have been no new cases of Covid-19 in the Yantian district for 21 straight days as of June 22, said Hu Zhaoyang, deputy head of the district government.

The number of laden gate-in tractors will be increased to 9,000 per day, Hong Kong-based Hutchinson said. The collection of empty containers and imported containers will remain normal. Export-bound containers will be processed within seven days of the vessel’s estimated arrival date, it added.

“The congestion will last for some time,” Securities Times reported, citing Zhong Zhe, founder and chief executive of One Shipping. Western ports have capacity restraints and the traditional export peak season in July and August is approaching. All of this will pose new challenges for the global shipping industry, he said.

Yantian Port handles one third of Guangdong province’s export and import trade and one fourth of the country’s trade with the US. The port can turnover 36,000 twenty-foot equivalent units a day, and its container throughput last year was 50 percent higher than the US’ busiest container port Los Angeles.

Editor: Kim Taylor