Global Supply Chains and International Transportation Impacted by the Extended Lunar New Year Holiday

Lunar New Year 2026 (17/02 – Year of the Fire Horse) is approaching, bringing with it increasingly visible pressure on global supply chains. Although the official holiday in China lasts only about one week, in practice, disruptions to production and logistics often begin several weeks earlier and can extend through early March.

During the pre-holiday peak period, the reliability of ocean freight at origin is showing a downward trend, posing significant challenges for import–export businesses.

1. Pre-Lunar New Year Booking Pressure: Confirmation No Longer Equals Assurance

Ahead of the holiday, many shipping lines increase the volume of bookings offered in order to meet Minimum Quantity Commitment (MQC) requirements and prepare contingency fleet plans. However, actual transport capacity does not increase accordingly, leading to an imbalance between supply and demand.

As a result:

• The number of bookings that are confirmed but not actually loaded onto vessels is increasing

• Shipments under standard spot conditions face a high risk of being rolled

• Even services that previously demonstrated strong schedule reliability are beginning to experience cargo backlogs

In this context, a confirmed booking is no longer a firm guarantee of loading, especially in the period leading up to Lunar New Year.

2. Congestion at Chinese Ports and Risks from Domestic Logistics

Congestion is most evident at major Chinese export ports such as Ningbo and Nansha, where inbound container volumes exceed terminal handling capacity.

Key issues include:

• Vessel delays exacerbating port congestion

• Terminals restricting yard entry once vessels are fully allocated

• Late-arriving containers being rejected and forced to wait for the next sailing, incurring additional storage and handling costs

Notably, delivering cargo early no longer guarantees that containers will be loaded according to the original plan.

At the same time, domestic logistics is under significant strain:

• Shortages of containers and equipment

• Delays in issuing EIRs

• Trucking capacity constraints

• Labor shortages as workers begin their Lunar New Year leave early

In many cases, current delivery risks stem more from inland logistics than from ocean vessel capacity.

3. How Should Import–Export Businesses Prepare?

The challenge of the 2026 Lunar New Year season does not lie in a single incident, but in a prolonged period of reduced reliability. Businesses should be prepared for scenarios such as:

• Shipments being rolled multiple times before loading

• Inability to ship before the holiday despite having bookings

• The need to prioritize critical shipments while postponing non-urgent ones

As Lunar New Year approaches, operational focus will shift from cost optimization to ensuring supply chain continuity and risk control.

4. Post-Holiday Risks: Pressure Does Not End

Disruptions do not end when the holiday concludes. Shipments that fail to depart before Lunar New Year may continue to face:

• Waiting times of 2–3 weeks after the holiday

• Factories, ports, and inland transport operating below full capacity

• Increased pressure on the first sailings after the holiday

This can easily create an “operational gap” and lead to unplanned costs without early preparation.

5. Insights from THT Cargo Logistics

According to THT Cargo Logistics, the period before, during, and after Lunar New Year 2026 should be viewed as a continuous risk cycle rather than isolated incidents.

Businesses are advised to:

• Reassess actual transport timelines instead of relying solely on ETD/ETA

• Clearly define shipment priorities

• Prepare flexible options for routing, vessel schedules, and shipping dates

• Work closely with logistics partners to stay updated on real loading capacity conditions

6. THT Cargo Logistics – Your Partner During the Peak Season

If your business is:

• Shipping goods from Asia before Lunar New Year or planning to increase volumes immediately after the holiday, THT Cargo Logistics is ready to support you in evaluating transport options, managing risks, and building tailored logistics plans for each peak period.

👉 Contact THT Cargo Logistics for detailed consultation on ocean freight and supply chain solutions for the 2026 Lunar New Year season.

 

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THT CARGO LOGISTICS – Integrated Logistics Solutions for FDI Enterprises
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