Chinese New Year is the most significant holiday season affecting logistics in Asia. The Year of the Rabbit will change to the Year of the Dragon on 10.2.2024. Holidays usually start already on the eve of the Chinese New Year, and production and shipping will be at a standstill during the holiday week 9-16.2.2024.
Production begins to slow down in the Chinese factories towards the end of January, and the busiest time to ship cargo is just before the holidays. For LCL, the reception of cargo in ports closes in most ports already in the last week of January, and departures are scheduled for the first days of February. For full containers (FCL) the last shipments leave the ports in early February.
At the approaching turn of the Chinese New Year, availability and transit times are also affected security situation in the Middle East which causes disruptions to vessel traffic through the Suez Canal. As the ships are routed around Africa, additional 10-15 days can be expected to transit times for ocean freight between Asia and Europe.
The raising level of costs may result to changes in the price level of sea freight in the coming months. Separate emergency and fuel surcharges are also possible in international ocean traffic.
For the most urgent deliveries, it is advisable to contact the suppliers as soon as possible. The Varova ocean freight team is in constant contact with shipping companies and our agents at departure ports, helping to find the best possible available shipping options.
If necessary, our sales department will help you find options for air freight or sea-air transfers: [email protected] or +358 9 77396300.