China’s Ports Brace for Second Hit as Virus Spread Wipes Out Exports

China’s Ports Brace for Second Hit as Virus Spread Wipes Out Exports
Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China, on Aug. 6, 2019. Aly Song/Reuters
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BEIJING—China’s ports and shipping firms are bracing for a second wave of supply chain disruptions that may be deeper and more prolonged than during the country’s coronavirus lockdown as the global spread of the virus chokes off international demand.

With Beijing reporting only sporadic domestic transmission of the coronavirus since March, workers have been allowed to return to posts, factories are restarting and ports are rushing to clear a backlog of cargos.