Pilot Shortage is Causing Vessel Traffic Backup in China

Traffic has began to become congested and slowed due to specialized river pilots being mandated to quarantine due to Covid-19 regulations when returning from duties along China’s Yangtze which happens to be the longest river in East Asia.

The Yangtze moves an approximated 3bn tonnes of cargo a year and at this time, due the pilot shortage, time spent on a vessel has increased astonishingly. A data report from Eastport states up 169% year-on-year for Jiangyin, 154% year-on-year for Nantong, 41% year-on-year for Ningbo and 190% year-on-year for Zhangjiagang in the month of October.