A TOTAL of 247 foreign-invested companies in Shanghai are included in the first batch of 666 companies on the city’s “white list” designed to support firms to resume production amid the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said yesterday.
The companies are mainly in key sectors, including integrated circuits, automobile manufacturing, equipment manufacturing and biomedicine, Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng told a Beijing press conference.
While some key foreign companies such as US carmaker Tesla have already restored production in an orderly manner, many foreign firms have applied to join the second batch of “white list” companies to resume production, Gao said.
China has established a “white list” approach to support the resumption of work for key companies and minimize the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain.
Express delivery companies in Shanghai are also gradually resuming operation, as the city has started to issue traffic permits for the delivery of important supplies.
The Shanghai Postal Administration recently issued a notice allowing postal and express delivery companies to apply for traffic permits for qualified vehicles and personnel.
The permits allow vehicles carrying key supplies such as medical and epidemic-control materials, daily necessities and important production materials to enter and leave COVID-19-affected areas.
On Tuesday, STO Express delivered a batch of supplies from Shanghai to Tianjin in north China with a newly obtained traffic permit, marking the orderly resumption of the company’s courier business in Shanghai.
Fang Sheng, manager of the STO Express transfer center in the Pudong New Area, said that at present, the number of drivers who have received permits is increasing, while the center is gradually resuming its work to handle express parcels.
According to the city postal administration, the resumption of postal delivery in the city is also underway.