原文標題：Major Shipping Firm Sees Signs of Supply-Chain Bottlenecks Easing
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發布時間：2022年4月28日 GMT+8 上午6:00
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原文內容：
Port bottlenecks that have increased supply-chain congestion because of the wa
r in Ukraine and lockdowns in China may be showing signs of easing, according
to one of the world’s biggest shipping companies.
Currently, the number of ships waiting outside of the ports in Los Angeles and
Long Beach have been reduced to less than 40, from more than 100 earlier this
year, according to Cheng Cheng-mount, chairman of Taiwan-based Yang Ming Mari
ne Transport Corp. The waiting time for ships at Shanghai ports is two or thre
e days, compared with 10 to 14 days at the U.S. ports.
“I think this is a good sign that the port congestion has been easing” in th
e U.S., Cheng said in an interview Tuesday. “We foresee in the second half, e
verything will become smooth. All the difficulties will be easier.”
As for China’s strict lockdowns in Shanghai and other cities to battle Covid-
19 outbreaks, he sees the global impact as a “short-term phenomenon” that sh
ould be limited to second-quarter operations. He expects Beijing to adjust its
Covid policy, and the nation’s economy to rebound in the second half of the
year.
Cheng’s view comes as supply chains have faced years of turmoil brought on by
trade wars and the pandemic. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s lockd
owns threaten to escalate the disruptions, with many in the industry expecting
the impact to ripple globally throughout the year.
Global Supply Chain Crisis Flares Up Again Where It All Began
While shipping operations are improving in Shanghai and factories are graduall
y restarting, containers are still piling up in ports because of a shortage of
trucks. Once bunched-up cargo vessels start sailing again, logistics experts
warn of a flood of containers clogging U.S. and European ports.
Congestion in Shanghai ports has increased about 30% to 40% as of April 25 sin
ce the beginning of March, though it’s still lower than the peak during the t
hird quarter last year, S&P Global Market Intelligence said in an emailed repo
rt Thursday. With bottlenecks in northern Chinese ports, vessels are seeking a
lternatives, which will likely increase congestion in southern ports, the repo
rt said.
Global trade growth is projected to slow to 5% this year from an estimated 10.
1% in 2021, according to an International Monetary Fund report.
“I agree that the trade is going to slow down, and this is due to the war in
Ukraine, and also delayed demand from Covid,” Cheng said, adding that the glo
bal recovery is expected to “take a break” before resuming its growth moment
um. “We are rather optimistic.”
Cheng expects measures by the U.S. government to speed flows at ports