Question

Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how will the port closures in China affect the shipment of raw material for businesses, in particular, the construction and electronics sectors; (b) whether these impacts affect the economic growth projection and inflation rate in Singapore; and (c) how can the Ministry assist companies in alleviating the impact of supply chain disruption and rising cost pressures.

Oral Answer (to be attributed to Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling)

1. Due to the detection of COVID-19 cases, China imposed partial and temporary closures at the Yantian International Container Terminal at the Port of Shenzhen and the Meidong Container Terminal at the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan for 34 days and 14 days respectively. Both ports collectively accounted for 8% of Singapore’s imports from China in 2020.

2. We have not received any feedback from companies on supply chain disruptions due to these port closures. We expect the overall impact to be manageable, as our companies have been strengthening their business continuity and supply chain resilience plans since the outbreak of COVID-19. The direct impact of these port closures on Singapore’s GDP growth and inflation rate is therefore also expected to be limited.

3. The Government will continue to work closely with industry partners to build stronger supply chain risk management practices, to minimise the risk and impact of future supply chain disruptions.