Ever since a cluster of corona-virus cases burst out in Beilun District of Ningbo on January 1st, local government has taken countermeasures swiftly, carried out collective quarantine and massive testing constantly. Besides setting up isolation zone, control zone and precaution zone, it also issued the Announcement on Further Strengthening Communal Prevention and Control Measures, and made clear the criteria corresponding to each zone.

Beilun, an industrial base of utmost importance to the sewing machinery sector in China, is home to nearly two scores of sewing machinery enterprises including SiRUBA, Yamato, Jingzhi, Wangye, Zhuoyong, Golden Pigeon, Xinhua, Maoxing, Chaiqiao, Huichang, Jin'yi, Kangzhong, Xingsheng, Fuyu, Rihong, Hongyu, Beilun Parts (Typical), Mingqi, Yunhai, Chengtian and Kaifa.

The outburst in Beilun concerns the whole sector. Upon the breakout, China Sewing Machinery Association (CSMA) has conducted investigations into the operating and production activities of relevant companies, revealing that companies like Yamato, Zhuoyong, Golden Pigeon, Yunhai and Jingzhi, have suspended their production currently, most of the companies in question including Wangye have been imposed upon production limits, while a few such as SiRUBA and Kaifa run as usual. Moreover, logistics and transportation have stalled due to relevant regulations, which has an adverse effect on production schedule. As a result, externally assisted processes of spare parts like galvanizing and thermal treatment have been subject to regulation and restriction, so do the shipments of finished products. According to Chen Peiguo, General Manager of Wangye, although local government has stated that companies should carry out business activities from Monday to Wednesday and suspend them from Thursday to Saturday, the actual turnout is less than 40% because of the fact that employees mostly live in the isolation zone and are faced with travel restrictions. Yu Zhijie, General Manager of Golden Pigeon, said that the company has technically shut down at present thanks to a turnout of less than 20% of its staff.

The caseloads concentrate on Ningbo Shenzhou Knitwear, which is a down-stream user of sewing machineries, and is completely closed down for now. As one of its major partners, Supreme has tested all the technicians who have provided on-site services for Shenzhou, and has imposed quarantine accordingly. Luo Qian, President of Supreme said that although the quarantine will certainly affect the company's production and services, it's the top priority to comply with relevant requirements in the context of national pandemic control. Shenzhou also made a huge effort to facilitate the massive testing organized by local government. Hopefully, this wave of Covid cases will be brought under control soon. Though the supply of equipment and services will run short temporarily, it's expected to resume after the Spring Festival as Shenzhou, as well as the overall down-stream industrial cluster in Ningbo, reopens.

It's worthwhile to note that companies like Wangye, Zhuoyong and Golden Pigeon have taken actions on their own initiatives after the outburst, including contacting key sewing machine manufacturers for related supporting documents, and actively dealing with formalities like Covid-wise special pass, so as to expedite the reopening and shipment on condition that pandemic control measures are put in place.

When interviewed, Zhuang Xiliang, Chairman of Ningbo Sewing Machinery Association, responded that since the breakout of pandemic in Ningbo has had a negligible impact on districts other than Beilun, the production and sale, and logistics of the spare parts sector in Ningbo operate normally on the whole. Some companies have shouldered great social and industrial responsibilities; Chen Peiguo, General Manager of Wangye, Qiu Zhenjiao, President of Yunhai and the like have enthusiastically worked as volunteers in the frontline of the campaign against the pandemic.

Yang Xiaojing, Director-General of China Sewing Machinery Association (CSMA), has predicted that local government, led by the Central Committee in a coordinated manner, will soon put an end to this wave as it increasingly tightens the pandemic prevention and control regulations, and it won't be long before isolated areas reopen and production activities return to normal. Yang hopes that sewing enterprises in Ningbo can comply with related regulations, bear in mind the big picture of pandemic control, and reduce the losses to the minimum extent while dutifully taking necessary precautions. In the meantime, he calls on pertinent sewing machine companies and dealerships along the industrial chain to fully support companies hit by Covid-19 including Wangye, Golden Pigeon and Zhuoyong in terms of lead time and finances, for the purpose of overcoming the challenging times hand in hand. CSMA will provide necessary support as well in response to sewing enterprises' needs.