The ongoing health crisis and resulting lockdowns could also affect

operations of pet food companies and other businesses.

The real and present dangers posed by the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhanand cases in other parts of China is likely to affect the staging of major pettrade shows in the country this year.

Although show organizers have made no formal postponements or cancellations oftheir annual pet shows yet, the Chinese government has ordered an indefinitefull lockdown of more cities, restricted transport services for millions ofpeople and imposed overseas groups travel ban. All these would definitelyresult in major disruptions for trade events already calendared as early aslast year.

At least eight pet trade shows scheduled in 2020

Here are the pet shows that are supposed to take place in major Chinese citiesfor 2020:

• Pet Fair Beijing, February 21-23, Beijing
• China International Pet Fair 2020, March 6-8, Guangzhou
• China Pet Expo 2020, March 13-16, Beijing
• Pet Fair Chengdu, April 9-12, Chengdu
• Shanghai International Pet Expo, April 16-18, Shanghai
• Pet Fair South China, May 15-17, Guangzhou
• Pet Fair Asia, August 19-23, Shanghai
• 24th China International Pet Show (CIPS 2020), November 12-15, Guangzhou

Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China with confirmed cases ofthe deadly virus, has also declared a virus “outbreak” emergency and orderedschools to be closed until February 17. Its also temporarily suspended allplanes in and out of the city and canceled train service between Hong Kong andthe mainland to stop the spread of the virus. An event called Pet Show 2020 isscheduled for February 6 to 9 at the Hong Kong Convention and ExhibitionCentre.

Could affect pet food operations, too

Ten of the at least 16 cities on lockdown are located in central China’s Hubeiprovince, with Wuhan declared ground zero for the coronavirus outbreak. Theother cities in Hubei under indefinite lockdown because of the virus outbreakare Huanggang, Ezhou, Chibi, Qianjiang, Zhijiang; Jingmen, Xiantao, Xiaoganand Huangshi.

In these places, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the operations of pet foodmanufacturers, importers, distributors, shops and other pet-related businessesand those that do trade with them until the threat of the potentially lethalpneumonia-causing illness that infects the respiratory tract is over. In arecent press conference, Chinese officials said the disease will remain anissue for the near future.

To date, China’s worst health crisis in years has rapidly spread across theworld with more than 8,000 confirmed cases in the U.S., France, Japan,Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea,Macao, Nepal and other countries. The World Health Organization has declared apublic health emergency of international concern due to the coronavirus, whichhas also reached Taiwan, where an annual pet event, Taipei Pets Show, isslated for July 10-13, 2020.

Source: Alma Buelva Pet Food Industry

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