Chinese transport and maritime authorities have moved ports and ships into typhoon-preparation mode as Super Typhoon Bavi tracks toward Taiwan and the mainland coast, raising the prospect of port suspensions, ferry cancellations and vessel diversions across one of Asia’s busiest shipping zones.
China’s Ministry of Transport started a Level IV typhoon defence response at 0900 on 8 July, after the storm was reported east-southeast of Keelung, Taiwan, with maximum winds of 60 metres per second near its centre.
The ministry said it would send teams to Zhejiang and Fujian to check implementation of vessel sheltering, port work stoppages and road control measures. It also told provincial transport authorities and affiliated units to move defensive measures forward and prepare steps including suspensions, closures, evacuations and transfers.
The China Maritime Safety Administration separately warned shipping companies and vessels to assess typhoon resistance, activate emergency plans and adjust voyage plans, port entry and departure plans and offshore construction work. Vessels were told to keep tracking the typhoon and, where necessary, delay sailing or reroute to keep clear of affected waters.
The storm has already begun to affect passenger shipping. Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau listed 10 ferry-route cancellations linked to Bavi, including Keelung-Matsu, Budai-Penghu and services to Xiaoliuqiu, Green Island and Lanyu, with notices dated between 6 July and 8 July.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications also said its Maritime and Port Bureau would activate a 12-nautical-mile coastal clearance mechanism before a sea typhoon warning, calling on vessels around Taiwan to leave hazardous waters early. Foreign merchant ships that fail to comply after repeated instructions could be banned from port entry under Taiwan’s Commercial Port Act, while Taiwanese-flagged ships could face safety-management enforcement.
Mainland coastal authorities are also tightening controls. Zhejiang maritime authorities started a Level III typhoon response on 8 July, while local media citing maritime officials reported emergency suspensions on coastal passenger routes and the withdrawal of construction vessels from exposed waters. Fujian maritime authorities started a Level IV response, according to Chinese state and regional reports, and were warning companies and passing vessels to avoid the storm’s impact zone.
China’s national marine forecaster warned that Bavi could bring a typhoon-driven storm surge to coastal waters off Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Fujian from 10 July to 12 July, with a maximum storm-surge rise of about 400 cm. Offshore wave heights could reach about 13 metres, while nearshore waters off Zhejiang and Fujian could see waves of up to about 8.5 metres.
Shipping analytics group The Signal Group said vessels were already avoiding Bavi’s path and warned that dry bulk, container, tanker and gas shipping could all face disruption if Chinese ports close or scale back operations for safety reasons. AXSMarine issued a similar advisory, pointing to risks for pilotage, berthing windows, cargo handling and discharge schedules.
The China Maritime Safety Administration is the maritime safety agency under China’s Ministry of Transport.
Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau is the maritime regulator under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and publishes ferry-suspension notices and maritime safety releases for Taiwan’s waters.