China have advised shipping companies to reroute their vessels, amidst military drills in Taiwan this week.

As tensions mount between Beijing and Taipei, due to Beijing viewing independently governed Taipei as part of its territory, general advice was to avoid the six different areas around the island where the military exercises are said to be taking place, including the Taiwan Strait, a primary shipping route between China and Japan (the world’s second and third biggest economies), and closest to China’s mainland.

Vessels are being re-routed around the East of the island, creating delays of around three days.

The live fire drills, which were only introduced as a temporary measure (due to finish last Sunday), pending US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, have since been extended, causing further logistical headaches for supply chains, still trying to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.

For further information and a contingency plan we encourage you to contact your Customer Development Manager on 01375 856060 or email crmteam@ugroup.co.uk to discuss.