Feb 5, 2020
As many of you know, the Wuhan Coronavirus in China has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). As a global company with employees in communities around the world and factories in China, we are taking steps to ensure businesses are aware and people are safe.
SW has taken a number of measures to address the outbreak:
- For Our Factories: SW has factories nearby in the Jiangsu province. By government order, these factories cannot resume production until February 10. We have taken this time to thoroughly sanitize our workshops and are doing this multiple times per day.
- For Our Employees: SW values the health and safety of its employees. Almost 90% of our China workers are at home safe with their families to reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus. We are also performing routine temperature checks on our workers as an extra precaution.
- For Our Communities: SW supports the patients, families, and medical staff affected by this dangerous virus. We support our communities and continue to make glove donations to medical facilities and the Red Cross in China.
It is also important to keep in mind that international shipping is being impacted by the coronavirus in the following ways:
- Air Freight: Several airlines (United, American, Delta) have suspended service to and from mainland China. As additional airlines suspend flights, space on shipments and rates will be unstable and change dramatically.
- Ocean Freight: Ocean freight is traditionally light in Q1 due to Chinese New Year celebrations. The expectation is that factories will take longer than expected to get back up to full working capacity because of the outbreak. It is anticipated that carriers will reduce capacity due to low demand predictions.
- Reduced Production: To encourage people to stay home, the Chinese government has extended the Chinese New Year holiday across China to February 2. Larger municipalities have extended it to February 9. Factory production is expected to be delayed due to the extended holidays.
- Currently U.S. Customs has not changed China air or shipment procedures in response to the outbreak, but as this is a dynamic situation, we are keeping a close eye on any changes.
It is indeed a challenging and concerning time. We certainly hope that you, your family, neighbors, friends, and business associates are safe and secure.
Belle Chou
President, SW Safety Solutions Inc.