Anti-Zika rules may delay China-bound shipments

A RECENT Chinese initiative to tighten measures for preventing the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in the country are threatening to cause delays to shipments at one of the busiest times of the year, exporters and freight forwarders have complained.

China this week issued amendments to regulations that were implemented in March and added to its Zika virus list countries that were not on the list. The revised rules require that all containers arriving at Chinese ports from listed countries have either a Mosquito Eradication Certification (MEC), or be quarantined for fumigation before being released from the port.