DP World Suspends Staff Travel to China

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

DP World, one of the world's largest port operators, has suspended all staff travel to China until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak there.

Companies including Facebook, LG Electronics and Standard Chartered are among those restricting travel for employees to China, where the death toll from a flu-like virus rose above 100 on Tuesday.

"All travel to China is suspended until further notice, unless for emergency purposes. We continue to monitor WHO and Government advice," a spokesman at Dubai state-controlled DP World told Reuters on Tuesday.

DP World's website shows it operates at three ports in mainland China and at another port in Hong Kong.

Chinese nationals would be permitted to travel to China if they needed to go home, the spokesman added.

"All our ports are complying with the official government health ministry directive for operations, staff health precautions and risk mitigation plans," he said, adding that ports need to continue to operate for welfare and health purposes, including the import of food and medicine.

Dubai's Emirates airline has advised its flight crew to stay in their hotels when on a layover in China due to the coronavirus, an internal notice seen by Reuters showed.

The United States has warned against travel to China, where the coronavirus outbreak has left millions of Chinese stranded during the country's biggest holiday of the year.


(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, writing by Davide Barbuscia; editing by Jason Neely and Alexander Smith)

Categories: Ports Logistics

Related Stories

Report: COSCO Shipping Suspends Operations at Panama's Balboa Port

ZIM Navigates Cooling Container Markets, Hapag-Lloyd Deal Looms

Aramco Launches Rare Oil Tenders as Iran War Disrupts Exports

Current News

Container vessel Orderbook Hits Record High

Report: COSCO Shipping Suspends Operations at Panama's Balboa Port

Cruise Shipping: Seatrade Cruise Global Debuts Wellness Oasis

US Navy Says Escorts Not Possible but Destroys Mine-Layers

Subscribe for Maritime Logistics Professional E‑News