Cargo Volume at Busan and Incheon Ports Drops by 10-20%
Hydrogen Gas Supply Also Suspended
On the afternoon of the 10th, the fourth day of the general strike by the Cargo Solidarity Headquarters of the Public Transport Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU Cargo Solidarity), unlicensed finished vehicles being transported individually without car carriers passed by the rally site of Cargo Solidarity union members in front of the Kia Motors production plant in Seo-gu, Gwangju. (Image source=Yonhap News)
[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The nationwide general strike by the Cargo Solidarity Headquarters of the Public Transport Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has entered its sixth day as of the holiday on the 12th, causing widespread logistics disruptions. Due to the prolonged strike, damage from logistics transport delays is increasing across the country. Construction sites nationwide, including Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Jeju, are facing concerns over work stoppages due to the long-term suspension of cement transportation.
On this day, the Cargo Solidarity held strike rallies nationwide, conducting publicity campaigns urging cargo transport workers to join the strike. In Gangwon, rallies continued at three locations: Hanil Cement in Yeongwol, Ssangyong C&E in Donghae, and in front of Halla Cement in Gangneung. Although no physical clashes occurred during the rallies, non-union members were reluctant to operate, and no bulk cement trailer (BCT) vehicles were seen entering or leaving the sites.
In Chungbuk, rallies were held in front of Hanil Cement's Danyang plant, Sungshin Cement's Danyang plant, and Hanil Hyundai Cement's Danyang plant. With the suspension of cement land transportation using BCTs, silos used for temporarily storing produced cement are filling up, raising concerns about factory shutdowns. Hanil Cement stated, "The silos are nearing full capacity, making it impossible to proceed with the final process for finished product production," adding, "Other companies are in similar situations."
Ready-mix concrete companies are also struggling to operate their plants due to depleted cement inventories. In Chungnam, strike rallies continue at more than ten locations, including the Seosan Daesan Industrial Complex. Since the strike, transport of materials from Gongju Hanil Cement has almost ceased. Industrial complexes in Seosan and steel companies in Dangjin are piling up materials in temporary yards and only transporting urgent shipments during the hours after 9 p.m., when strike rallies and vehicle monitoring end, until early morning. Companies are currently managing urgent issues, but they fear that if the strike continues into early next week, accumulated backlogs could lead to an emergency situation.
The Cargo Solidarity Jeju branch is continuing the strike at Jeju Port Pier 6, and construction work is being halted as materials such as cement cannot be delivered from inland areas. In Jeju, it is expected that construction stoppages will occur starting from the 13th at skeletal construction sites where concrete pouring is essential.
Vehicle shipments and container import/export at major ports are also facing emergencies. At the Kyungryung racetrack parking lot, located 5 km from Kia Motors Autoland Gwangmyeong, over 300 export-ready finished vehicles are lined up. With no space to transport these vehicles to the port, nearby parking lots are being rented to store the finished cars.
Among the 200 car carriers contracted with Autoland Gwangmyeong and Hwaseong plants, 98% belong to the Cargo Solidarity, causing delays in finished vehicle transportation. At Busan Port, container import/export volume from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 11th dropped to 5,167 TEU, only about a quarter (23.9%) of the volume during the same period last month. Container cargo throughput at Incheon Port's container terminal has fallen to 10-20% of normal levels. As of 10 a.m. that day, the container yard occupancy rate at Incheon Port terminal was 81.1%, 2 percentage points higher than last month's average of 79.1%.
Due to sporadic rallies and blockade struggles by union members, the daily import/export volume at the inland container depot (ICD) in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, is understood to be less than 10% of normal levels.
Regarding hydrogen gas, two of the seven supply sites in Chungnam, located in Daesan, have been unable to dispatch supplies, resulting in suspension of supply to hydrogen charging stations in Daejeon and other areas.
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