Consequences of typhoon Bebinka for logistics

On the night of September 15 to 16, 2024, a powerful hurricane hit the eastern coast of China. The megacity of Shanghai and neighboring provinces were in the eye of the typhoon. The Category 1 storm, with wind speeds of 151 km/h, became the strongest in the country in the last 75 years. Only Hurricane Gloria, which occurred back in 1949, could be compared to Bebinca.

Consequences of Bebinca for China

In Jiangsu Province, the typhoon brought heavy rains and strong winds, after which it turned into a tropical storm. Two people died. Accidents also occurred in the city of Zhoushi, where two local residents were struck by a high-voltage power line.
Overall, the hurricane passed through Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces. As a result, these regions experienced flooded roads, damaged buildings, fallen trees, and power outages in some homes. In Shanghai alone, the storm brought down about 10,000 trees.
The peak of the typhoon coincided with the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, the Ministry of Emergency Situations was prepared to respond to the disaster. Thus, passenger and cargo water transportation was suspended in Shanghai, and flights were canceled or rescheduled at Pudong and Hongqiao airports. In total, more than 1,400 flights and 570 passenger train trips were canceled.
More than 400,000 Shanghai residents were evacuated from their homes located in the path of the storm. Additionally, 9,000 residents were evacuated from the Chongming area. The scale of the hurricane forced the involvement of about 56,000 professionals in rescue operations.

Impact of Typhoon Bebinca on Logistics

As a precautionary measure, not only airports but also the Pudong and Jinshan railway lines, the Hangzhou–Shenzhen and Hangzhou–Ningbo high-speed railways, and connections between Hangzhou and Nanchang, and Hangzhou and Taizhou were completely shut down. Some bridges and highways were also closed.
Since the typhoon brought powerful winds and heavy rains to Shanghai, shippers and ocean carriers were forced to suspend operations. This caused a disruption in cargo flow for businesses around the world. The disruption of shipment schedules led to a ripple effect across all supply chain links, as Shanghai is a significant hub of global trade.

As a result:

• Increased delivery times. For instance, the delay at the Shanghai terminal lasted from 36 to 60 hours, while in Ningbo — from 24 to 48 hours.
• Some cargo vessels en route to Shanghai were redirected to other regional ports, which were already overwhelmed due to adverse weather conditions.
• All cargo ships from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui regions were delayed due to the typhoon. Many ships that were supposed to depart from the listed Chinese ports three months earlier were not loaded on time.

The hurricane in Shanghai was a real test for China.

The strongest Typhoon Bebinca — Damage Assessment

As of September 23, 2024, over 3 million TEU were waiting at anchorages. This represented nearly 10% of the global fleet! The typhoon affected not only Chinese ports but also global ones due to the sudden increase in load. This led to significant supply chain delays.
The total economic damage from Typhoon Bebinca was estimated in the billions of US dollars. Initially, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated the loss at up to 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) for Shanghai alone. A later report from November 2024 indicated that the total loss could have reached 550 billion yuan (US$75.8 billion).

How DiFFreight Minimizes Delivery Risks During Hurricanes and Typhoons

Since China has a long coastline along the western Pacific Ocean, the southern and eastern coastal provinces (Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and others) are frequently affected by tropical cyclones.
The typhoon season runs from May to October, peaking between July and September. Hurricanes cause significant damage to infrastructure and agriculture. What DiFFreight can do to keep your cargo safe:

• Enhanced weather monitoring and forecasting. We alert clients in advance and advise postponing shipments. Of course, delivery from China to Ukraine may be delayed, but these costs are nothing compared to losing the cargo.
• Route optimization and rerouting vessels away from the typhoon’s epicenter, if possible. We offer alternative routes with lower risks.
• Insurance. While it doesn’t prevent physical losses, it minimizes financial risks by covering damage to the vessel, cargo, or loss of containers. Don’t neglect arranging an insurance policy!
• During challenging conditions, all parts of the logistics chain, port workers, and companies increase communication. We redirect cargo to safe locations whenever possible. That’s why the typhoon season can also affect the purchase of goods in China.

Work only with reliable logistics companies that keep you informed about potential risks!
DiFFreight takes care of deadlines, cargo safety, actively communicates delays, and offers alternatives for every client.