Every year between late January and mid-February, the Chinese New Year disrupts the global shipping landscape. Factories shut down, ports slow down, capacity tightens, and freight rates rise, often catching unprepared importers off guard.
The Chinese New Year's effect on shipping goes far beyond the holiday itself. Disruptions typically begin as early as mid-December and can persist until March, resulting in production backlogs and delivery delays throughout the supply chain.
In this guide, we break down what really happens during Chinese New Year, how long the impact lasts, and the practical steps you can take to protect your shipments and avoid costly delays.
Need expert guidance managing your China shipments during the holiday season? Contact SARA today, and let our team create a customised plan that keeps your goods moving.
What Happens to Shipping During the Chinese New Year?
Here's what actually happens during this period and why it affects your shipments so dramatically.
A. Factory Shutdowns, Staff Shortages, and Production Slowdowns
Chinese factories don't simply close their doors on Chinese New Year's Day and reopen a week later. The reality is far more complex and extends the disruption significantly.
The shutdown timeline typically follows this pattern:
- Mid-December to early January: Factory output begins to slow as workers prepare for the holiday. Priority is given to orders that must ship before closure. Most factories operate at 60–80% capacity.
- 2-3 weeks before Chinese New Year: Production drops further as workers start traveling home. Many factories run on skeleton crews, operating at 40–50% capacity and handling only urgent orders.
- 7-14 days before Chinese New Year: Most factories shut down completely. Although the official holiday lasts 7–8 days, factory closures typically extend 2–3 weeks to account for worker travel and delayed returns.
- 1-2 weeks after Chinese New Year: Factories begin reopening, but staffing remains uneven as workers gradually return. Operations typically resume at 50–70% capacity.
- 3-4 weeks after Chinese New Year: Production stabilizes as staffing levels normalize and factories return to full operational capacity.
Note that this does not only affect factory workers. Warehouse staff, truck drivers, port workers, customs brokers, and freight forwarders all experience reduced availability, creating bottlenecks at every stage of the logistics process.
If you're planning production or shipments during this window, expect significant delays even if your factory claims to remain "partially operational."
B. Pre-Holiday Rush and Capacity Squeeze
As factory closures approach, a massive surge in shipping demand hits Chinese ports all at once.
Every exporter with goods ready to ship scrambles to get their cargo out before the holiday, creating fierce competition for limited container space, trucking capacity, and vessel allocation.
This pre-holiday rush creates several critical challenges, such as:
- Container shortages,
- Port congestion,
- Trucking bottlenecks,
- Premium pricing,
- Booking competition.
All of these typically begin in mid-December and intensify through January until the actual holiday.
The scramble for capacity means that last-minute shippers often get bumped to post-holiday sailings, adding 4-6 weeks to their transit times.
C. Blank Sailings and Port/Space Management by Carriers:
Shipping lines don't simply maintain their regular schedules during the Chinese New Year. Instead, they strategically cancel sailings (called "blank sailings") to manage capacity and avoid operating nearly empty vessels during the holiday period.
They do this to reduce export volumes and give the maritime workers some time off during major holidays.
The holiday period also provides an opportunity to move vessels to different trade lanes, conduct maintenance, or adjust capacity based on seasonal demand patterns.
Carriers typically announce blank sailing schedules 4-6 weeks in advance, but changes can occur with shorter notice. Monitoring these schedules through our freight forwarders at SARA is essential for accurate planning.
The combination of factory shutdowns, pre-holiday capacity crunches, and strategic blank sailings creates a multi-week disruption period where normal shipping operations simply don't exist. Understanding these dynamics is the first step toward protecting your business from their impact.
Why You'll See Delays and Higher Freight Rates During the Chinese New Year.
The operational disruptions during the Chinese New Year create predictable consequences:
1. Lead-Time Compression and Container Shortages:
Lead-time compression occurs when many exporters rush to ship within a short period, creating artificial scarcity despite existing capacity.
Under normal conditions, exports move steadily with predictable container availability and sailing schedules. As the Chinese New Year approaches, however, months of cargo are pushed into a 2–3 week window, overwhelming the system.
Although the total number of containers hasn’t changed, they’re all in use at the same time. This leads to shortages at origin ports, where container wait times can increase from 2–3 days to 10–14 days during the pre-holiday rush.
Containers must be returned from imports or repositioned from other trade lanes. During peak periods, they leave China faster than they return, creating imbalances that can take 4–6 weeks to stabilise after the holiday.
FCL shipments typically move faster than LCL because LCL requires additional consolidation and deconsolidation. During Chinese New Year, reduced warehouse staffing can add 7–10 extra days to LCL transit times.
Planning tip: For February or March deliveries, cargo should be ready and space booked by early December. Waiting until January significantly increases the risk of container shortages and missed sailings.
2. Surcharges and Temporary Carrier Fees
Shipping lines and freight forwarders don't simply raise their base rates during the Chinese New Year. Instead, they layer on additional surcharges and temporary fees that significantly inflate total shipping costs.
Common Chinese New Year surcharges include:
- Peak Season Surcharge (PSS)
- Chinese New Year Surcharge (CNY Surcharge).
- Space Guarantee Fee.
- Emergency Booking Fee
- Equipment Imbalance Surcharge (EIS).
These surcharges and rate increases are temporary but inevitable. Carriers know demand is peaking and capacity is constrained, so they price accordingly.
The key is budgeting for these increases in advance and booking early to secure the best available rates before last-minute premiums take effect.
3. Customs Checks, Tariff Changes, and Service Suspensions (Impact on Transit)
While factories close and ports slow in China, customs operations in destination countries continue, often with reduced efficiency and increased scrutiny during the holiday period.
Customs delays during the Chinese New Year due to:
- Increased inspection rates.
- Longer processing times.
- Documentation backlogs.
- Year-end tariff changes.
Working with an experienced customs broker who pre-clears documentation, maintains direct relationships with customs officials, and can expedite inspections makes an enormous difference during these congested periods.
At SARA, our customs brokerage team reviews all documentation before goods arrive, identifies potential issues early, and maintains the relationships necessary to move cargo through clearance faster than individual importers can manage on their own.
How Long Are the Delays Caused by the Chinese New Year?
Understanding the timeline of Chinese New Year disruptions helps you plan realistic inventory buffers and set appropriate customer expectations.
The answer isn't a simple number of days; it varies based on when you ship relative to the holiday and which parts of the supply chain affect your specific cargo.
Typical delay periods by shipping window:
1. Shipments booked in early-mid December:
If you secure space on sailings departing before late December, you'll likely experience minimal delays, perhaps 3-5 extra days due to slightly elevated port congestion, but generally manageable timelines.
2. Shipments booked in late December through mid-January:
This is the danger zone. Cargo booked during this window faces the full brunt of Chinese New Year disruptions: severe container shortages, blank sailings, reduced trucking capacity, and port congestion. Expect 2-4 weeks of additional delays beyond normal transit times, potentially longer if your cargo gets rolled to post-holiday sailings.
3. Shipments booked during the actual holiday (late January to early February):
If you attempt to ship during the holiday itself, your cargo will sit idle until operations resume. Factor in 2-3 weeks of zero movement, plus another 1-2 weeks of post-holiday backlog delays. Total additional delay: 3-5 weeks minimum.
4. Shipments booked in late February through March:
Even after factories reopen and carriers resume regular schedules, the backlog of cargo competes for space and processing capacity. Expect 1-2 weeks of residual delays as the supply chain works through accumulated volume.
Practical Mitigation Strategies for the Chinese New Year Shipping Issues.
Now that you understand what happens during Chinese New Year and why delays are inevitable, here are the practical strategies our team at SARA uses to help clients minimise disruption and maintain supply chain continuity.
1. Order Earlier:
The most effective way to avoid Chinese New Year shipping delays is simple: order earlier than usual.
Recommended ordering timeline:
- February inventory: Order by early November; ship by early December
- March inventory: Order by late November–early December; ship mid-to-late December
- April inventory: Order by late December–early January (expect minor delays)
How to implement early ordering:
- Forecast demand 90–120 days ahead using historical sales data
- Share projected volumes with suppliers 60–90 days in advance
- Book production slots early to secure priority manufacturing
Early ordering helps you avoid container shortages, blank sailings, rate spikes, and port congestion, keeping shipping timelines predictable and costs under control.
2. Move Priority SKUs to Express Air Freight:
Not all products need the same shipping approach. Use express air freight selectively and book ocean space early to avoid stockouts during the Chinese New Year.
Use express air freight for:
- High-value, high-margin SKUs.
- Fast-moving bestsellers.
- Time-sensitive or promotional items.
- Lightweight, compact products.
- Small test or sample shipments.
Smart split-shipment strategy:
- 80% by ocean freight: Ship bulk inventory early (December) at lower cost
- 20% by express air freight: Fly in critical SKUs to cover delays.
This balances cost control with inventory availability without incurring air freight costs on full orders.
This way, your priority goods arrive on time, keeping your supply chain running smoothly, while the other goods shipped by sea join in later.
At SARA, we maintain strong carrier relationships that provide our clients with priority booking access, even during tight capacity windows. Contact our team to secure your Chinese New Year shipping space now before options become limited.
3. Use Buffer Stock / Temporary Inventory in Target Markets
Buffer inventory protects your business from Chinese New Year shipping delays and prevents costly stockouts.
Best practice:
- Increase safety stock by 2–4 weeks of sales from mid-December to mid-March.
- Ship extra inventory in October or November instead of relying on lean stock during the holiday period
How to manage storage:
- Use local or regional warehouses to position stock closer to demand.
- Hold larger buffers in high-demand markets; keep leaner stock in slower regions.
- Use 3PL warehousing if space is limited.
At SARA, we offer flexible warehousing solutions to store buffer inventory and release stock as needed.
Note: Holding extra inventory is usually cheaper than emergency air freight, lost sales, and customer churn during Chinese New Year disruptions.
4. Communicate Proactively with Customers:
Clear, early communication prevents frustration and protects customer trust during Chinese New Year delays.
What to do:
- Notify customers in December about potential Chinese New Year shipping delays.
- Add a temporary notice on your website for January–February orders.
- Adjust delivery estimates on product pages to reflect realistic timelines.
When delays happen:
- Contact affected customers before they ask.
- Share updated delivery dates and tracking information.
- Acknowledge the delay and, where possible, offer a small goodwill gesture.
After delivery:
- Thank customers for their patience and confirm successful delivery.
- Request feedback to improve future holiday planning.
Customers accept delays when they’re informed in advance. Proactive communication turns disruption into a trust-building opportunity.
Partner with SARA to Ship Your Goods From China
Don't let the Chinese New Year disrupt your business. The holiday happens every year, which means preparation and partnership are the keys to success.
Businesses that plan ahead, work with experienced logistics partners, and implement the strategies outlined in this guide continue serving their customers smoothly while competitors struggle with delays and stockouts.
Contact SARA today to discuss your Chinese New Year shipping needs and let us create a customised plan that protects your supply chain during this critical period.
Whether you need to secure container space for December sailings, explore air freight options for urgent SKUs, arrange buffer stock warehousing, or simply get expert advice on timing your orders, our team is ready to help.
Stop gambling with your supply chain.
Start partnering with professionals who've successfully navigated 20+ Chinese New Year cycles and know exactly how to keep your goods moving when the rest of the industry grinds to a halt.
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