Looking ahead to Chinese New Year 2021

1 December 2020

It may seem like a while away, but 12 February 2021 is the start of the Chinese New Year. This means the shipping routes from the Far East are incredibly busy. Delays and overflowing ships are already the order of the day right now. Unfortunately, the forecasts are not good. Be prepared now and adjust your planning for the Chinese New Year to help prevent problems.

Planning around peak periods

The Chinese New Year is one of the most important and lengthy public holidays in China. The entire country has 6 days off. The business community also operates at a slow pace during the days leading up to and following the Chinese New Year – many people take an extra couple of days off. As a result, trade with China is disrupted for quite some time.

Also the demand for tonnage is extremely high every year just before the start of the Chinese New Year. Many importers attempt to get their goods out just before the start. This means many more bookings than space available, and not everything can be shipped. Cargo that is left behind because it could not be shipped before the public holidays will be delayed by weeks.

Are you looking to import from China around the time of the Chinese New Year? Please ensure you start your planning and scheduling now. We recommend that you choose sailings that are scheduled well before the Chinese New Year, or after.

Fine-tune your schedule with your supplier

Ritra Cargo will do everything in our power to make sure your goods are on their scheduled sailing. However, we are not always able to prevent delays. Close cooperation between the forwarder, shipper and supplier can help to prevent issues.

For instance, you (the importer) can help by booking your shipments well in advance. This will significantly increase the chances that your goods can be shipped on the planned sailing. Of course, it remains vital that your supplier delivers the goods on time, so we would advise you to make sure you discuss and fine-tune your schedule meticulously with your supplier. Together we can ensure that the impact of the Chinese New Year on your import is as trouble-free as possible.