Factories have suspended production. Truckers are stuck on highways. Containers are piling up at ports. Shipping vessels have been waiting to unload.
China’s economy is set to pay a price as the communist regime’s determination to stamp out the COVID-19 outbreak through harsh lockdowns have brought its manufacturing and commercial hubs, like Shanghai, to a halt.
Shanghai is approaching its third week of lockdown. The abrupt closure of the wealthy city that contributes to roughly 4 percent of the country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) started on March 28. Officials allowed 4.8 million people to exit their homes on April 12, but the rest of the city’s 25 million residents are still sealed in. As infections hit a record high on April 14, there is no immediate sign of easing.
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