China Lockdowns Exacerbate Supply Chain Crisis, Inflationary Pressures: Experts

People line up to give a sample for nucleic acid testing at a residential block during a citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing campaign on April 1, 2022 in Shanghai, China. Zhang Suoqing/VCG via Getty Images

As Shenzhen and Shanghai, two of China’s largest cities and major ports, impose lockdown measures to curb recent COVID spikes, financial experts express concern that it will aggravate global supply chains and inflationary pressures.

Shenzhen’s 17.5 million residents were placed under a citywide lockdown from March 14 to 20. One week after Shenzhen emerged from the closure, Shanghai officials imposed a lockdown on the city’s 26 million plus residents on March 28 with little notice.