Shipping considerations about the lunar new year

Along with the Golden Week in October, the lunar new year’s celebration is one of the most celebrated festivities in China (and most of Asia) and brings with it the closing for at least a week of all the country’s services, affecting all export and import operations to those countries.

Lunar new year’s affectation to international transport

The lunar new year ( also known as the Chinese new year) is one of the biggest celebrations in most asiatic countries (like Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia or Malasya) which in its turn makes it a very important celebration to have in mind  if you trade with any of these countries.

The celebration on its own lasts for a week, from 31st January to 6th February, but lots of manufacturers and suppliers close for longer to give time to their employees to visit their families and celebrate together. Port terminals, freight forwarders and custom offices also close or are only operated by the bare minimum, so knowing those timings is vital to adapt and prepare your shippings with enough time to not see your cargo affected.

As a result, like with the Golden Week, all cargos can end up being affected by the closings. Most common problems are delays, but you also should consider lack of container space, specially nowadays. Importers and exporters around the world try to advance their shippings to ensure their goods are on timeor have enough stock throught the month, so the already difficult situation with container space can get worse.

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