Freight Ships To Avoid Taiwan Due to China's Naval Exercises

As China conducted its most provocative military exercises in decades surrounding Taiwan, shippers rerouted their boats, and at least one owner forbade ships from passing across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan reported that China has launched 11 missiles in the area of the island. China warned ships and planes not to approach the zones where the drills were taking place in reaction to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island this week.

The People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that it had finished live-fire training and lifted pertinent air and sea controls. The state-run People's Daily subsequently reported that the restrictions off Taiwan's eastern coast have been relaxed, however it did not specify if that meant the drills had ceased. 

According to information gathered by Bloomberg, ships were still passing across the Taiwan Strait on Thursday. Although the data indicated there were 15 boats in the drill zones at noon, it's possible that they had already left the impact zones before the drills started. There were no ships in the area of the Taiwan Strait and to the east of the island that was closest to the Chinese mainland.

Nearly half of the world's container fleet is expected to travel across the Taiwan Strait this year, making it a crucial route. Supply networks, already struggling as a result of the pandemic's onset and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, are now experiencing yet another setback.

Ship-tracking data shows that at least three liquefied natural gas tankers near Taiwan altered course to avoid military exercises. Others are slowing down to avoid the maneuvers, which, according to traders, may cause minor supply delays to Taiwan and adjacent locations.

Wang Kwo-tsai, Taiwan's transportation minister, stated that there is no set path for maritime traffic, thus the Maritime Port Bureau of Taiwan issued a notice alerting ships to stay clear of the regions where drills are occurring.