Returning seafarers will have to isolate for up to seven weeks, which is expected to create further supply delays out of the export hub.
The country has also banned crew changes for foreign seafarers, according to Bloomberg.
Guy Platten, secretary-general of the International Chamber of Shipping says China’s restrictions cause knock-on effects.
“Any restrictions to ship operations have an accumulative impact on the supply chain and cause real disruptions,” he says.
Shipping routes are now rerouted to avoid the Covid 19 restrictions placed in China, which will mean ships take longer to reach their destinations and the trips will be more expensive.
The country has a zero-Covid policy and is imposing more stringent container processes as it tackles its latest wave of cases.
In Shenyang, arriving overseas travellers face a 56-day quarantine.
Before the pandemic, seafarers would sometimes have to head to another country to board a ship. Some would disembark in another country before making their way home on a plane, which has been made difficult in the last two years because of border controls.
Terence Zhao, managing director of Singhai Marine Services, says the ports’ main focus is on quarantine and health matters.
“The regulations change very often, depending on the local Covid situation,” he says.
Last week, Dan Tehan, Minister for Trade, Tourism & Investment, said that Australia will look to build on the progress made by US President Joe Biden and People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping
According to Bloomberg, ship managers and operators are calling for China to relax its restrictions and governments to prioritise seafarers and shipping, or risk continued disruptions that may go deeper as mariners bear the brunt of the toll.