Everstream Analytics monitors and produces a weekly summary of supply chain impacts due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The update is provided free-of-charge to the industry.
- A COVID-19 outbreak among cross-border vegetable truck drivers continues to cause vegetable and fresh food supply shortages across Hong Kong. With approximately 250 cross-border truck drivers forced to undergo quarantine, only about 50 truck drivers are reportedly able to continue deliveries from Shenzhen into Hong Kong as of February 14. Vegetable and fresh food supply shortages are expected to continue in the coming days as authorities attempt to find replacement truck drivers.
- Hong Kong’s surge in COVID-19 cases has also been impacting cross-border cargo traffic from Hong Kong to China as stricter quarantine restrictions on border crossings have recently been introduced. New infections have also led to a number of fresh lockdowns including in the border city of Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia on February 15 and parts of Suzhou City’s Industrial Park on February 14, where a subsidiary of Taiwan’s United Microelectronics Corp. and King Long Technology Ltd. were among the semiconductor companies affected by an immediate production stoppage. Meanwhile, authorities in Guangxi’s Baise City began lifting lockdown restrictions on February 15.
- In an attempt to end ongoing trucker protests against COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Canada’s capital Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on February 14 invoked emergency powers. Various borders crossings between the United States and Canada have continued to be impacted by blockades as part of the uprising; for instance, border operations at crossings in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba, respectively leading to Sweet Grass (Montana), Blaine (Washington) and Pembina (North Dakota) remained disrupted as of February 14. The Ambassador Bridge reopened late on February 13, where protest action had disrupted Canada-bound traffic for one week.
- Trucker protests against COVID-19 measures, inspired by Canada’s freedom convoys, have also led to localized disruptions in various European countries, including in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Hundreds of vehicles reportedly blocked access to the seat of the Dutch government in The Hague on February 14. Protesters failed to paralyze traffic in Brussels on February 14 as authorities proactively barred vehicle convoys from entering the city. Also French authorities thwarted major protest action in Paris by stopping at least 500 vehicles before they could enter the city, however, protesters did cause traffic jams focused on the Champs-Elysées, the city center’s major avenue.