East African trade is under pressure from the coronavirus as Chinese vessels fail to dock at Kenya’s Port of Mombasa, the gateway through which East African countries import Chinese goods.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has confirmed that four Evergreen Line and Cosco ships – carrying consumables, electronics, construction materials, vehicle spare parts, clothing, furniture, kitchenware, raw materials and machinery – have failed to dock at the port for the second month in a row.
As a result it’s causing a hike in prices of consumer goods across the region.
According to The East African, most Chinese factories are on lockdown as Beijing scrambles to contain the outbreak.
Apart from Kenya itself, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, parts of Tanzania, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo all rely on Mombasa for their inbound supply chain requirements. – Zoë van Rooyen.
