Amid the COVID-19 crisis, World Port Sustainability Program and International Association of Ports and Harbors issued their “Port Economic Impact Barometer” report for week 21.
Specifically, IAPH-WPSP Port Economic Impact Barometer focuses on the current coronavirus situation in world ports and trends.
In its seventh weekly edition before switching to a new bi-weekly format, the IAPH-WPSP confirmed that regional differences are becoming increasingly pronounced in terms of the global impact of the COVID19 crisis on ports.
In light of the above, IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven noted:
We now see Asian ports fully operational and with promising signs in terms of a recovery. European ports are gradually returning to the new normal, whereas ports in regions such as South America and Africa are having to adapt to the contagion which is in many cases now reaching a peak there.
As a result, IAPH-WPSP Barometer report will pay attention to comparisons between regions on trends in vessel calls, hinterland intermodal transport to and from ports, port storage capacity utilization and port worker availability.
Blank sailings, basically on trade routes with Far East, are clearly affecting this week’s results for container vessels.
In fact, 45% of the ports are reporting that the number of container vessel calls fell by 5 to 25% compared to a normal situation (34% last week).
At the same time, the share of ports facing a significant drop (in excess of 25%) in container vessels calls reaches 8%, a figure that is about 2 percent below the results of weeks 17, 18 and 20, but much higher than what we could observed in weeks 15 and 16.
The share of ports reporting reductions in other cargo vessel calls of more than 25% increased further to 16% (vs. 12 to 15% throughout weeks 16 to 20). Less than half of the ports mention that the number of calls by other cargo vessels is rather stable compared to a normal situation.
…as the report noted.
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