Dock strike has traders looking for other routes
Re-exporters may send their goods to Shenzhen to avoid delays and shortages ahead of peak season as dispute drags on
The supply and export of various products - including the city's HK$300 billion re-export trade - will start to slow if the Kwai Tsing dock strike drags on for another week, industrialists say.
Re-exporters are already working on contingency plans, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries said. "Problems will emerge as the strike drags on," deputy chairman Stanley Lau Chin-ho said. "Being complicated by political elements, the strike has turned into a social movement. That makes it more complicated and hard to solve."
Lau said many products passed through Hong Kong before being exported, although they were produced elsewhere - mainly on the mainland. "Some clients like to see the final touches done in Hong Kong, such as packaging, printing and quality control … it reassures them about quality," Lau said.
Products include electronics, clothing, accessories, metal goods and printed materials. Imports of large and heavy items such as cars, machinery and raw materials are also affected.
Video: No bathrooms and 24-hour shifts – the life of a dock workhorse
Contingency plans being considered include sending goods to Shenzhen to ship, arranging for employees to work overtime in case of emergency, and alerting suppliers to stop sending goods for the time being, Lau said.
Total re-exports amounted to HK$300 billion in January, according to government figures.
