Containers are loaded onto a China-Europe freight train at Suifenhe, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Thursday. Including this train, 3,000 China-Europe cargo trains have passed through the port. As of Wednesday, 291,186 containers had been exported via the port. Photo: cnsphoto

Suifenhe, a China-Russia border city in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, will suspend the import of non-container goods that require manual unloading from Tuesday, a source close to the matter told the Global Times on Tuesday.

To strengthen epidemic prevention and control at ports in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus through imported goods, Suifenhe railway port will suspend the import of non-containers including coal, iron powder, fertilizer, pulp, non-gold minerals, and agricultural products, which have direct contact with people during unloading process, according to an announcement released by the Suifenhe epidemic control center late Monday.

The source confirmed the announcement and noted that the port will only resume full operations dependent on the management of the coronavirus and that all measures will be adjusted dynamically.

The decision was made after Heihe port in Heilongjiang and Manzhouli port in North China's Inner Mongolia reported COVID-19 cases due to imports, the source said.

Global Times