The 10 ports allowing for foreign crew change are Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Haikou.

The owner or manager of the ships can, 14 days after the ship leaves the last port of call, file applications for crew changes at the ports.

A circuit breaker system for crew adjustments was also implemented by the authorities.

If the number of crew members infected with Covid-19 from the same shipping company exceeds five and ten, all the company's international crews will be suspended from working shifts at Chinese ports for 15 days and 30 days, respectively.

Other international crew change requirements can differ at each port, and ship operators are requested to communicate with local authorities and agencies before the crew changes take place.

Maritime Business World