US retailers urge national mask policy to boost demand
The coronavirus outbreak has adversely impacted container shipping, particularly due to the downturn in sales of retail goods such as clothes, luggage and furniture. Retailers say a nationwide policy requiring customers to wear face coverings or masks to protect the health of customers and partners will help to restore consumer confidence
The decline in retail sales has had a clearly negative effect on container shipping, according to Hapag-Lloyd chief executive Rolf Habben Jansen, who recently estimated a 15%–20% loss in East–West trades