International Shipping: CHINA
A holiday that goes beyond the calendar and impacts production, transportation and global supply chain planning.
New Year 2026: why it affects international shipping
Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is not just a cultural occasion.For those who work with international imports, it represents one of the most sensitive times of the entire logistics year.
In 2026 it will fall on February 17, but those shipping from China know that the real impact is not concentrated in a single week.
The consequences begin as early as January and are felt well into March, affecting production, transportation, and space availability.
Shanghai Shenzhen Ningbo Guangzhou Qingdao Tianjin Hong Kong Beijing Chengdu Zhengzhou
A local holiday, a global impact on logistics
Slowed production and closed factories
In the weeks leading up to the Chinese New Year, many factories begin to gradually reduce operations.
Workers return to their hometowns and production capacity drops sharply.
After the holiday, recovery is not immediate: it often takes several weeks for factories to return to full capacity.
For European companies, this means one very concrete thing: orders placed too close to CNY risk delays that are difficult to make up.
PRODUCTION
Factories closed, timelines lengthening
Transportation under pressure and rising costs
The period leading up to the Chinese New Year is traditionally characterized by a strong rush of shipments. Between December and January, volumes grow significantly and cargo capacity, both sea and air, quickly becomes limited.
In this context, tariff increases, seasonal surcharges, and freight rate revisions often occur. Booking in advance is not only a good practice, but a true cost containment strategy.i.
Port congestion and slowed services
Another direct effect of the CNY is congestion at major Asian ports.
Before the holiday, docks fill up, while immediately afterward, containers pile up waiting to be handled.
This is compounded by so-called blank sailings, or cancellations of sailings that further reduce available capacity.
Warehousing, trucking, and customs clearance services also often operate at reduced capacity, making transit times less predictable.
The most exposed sectors
Some industries are affected more than others by this period.
Elettronics, textiles, toys and automotive are among the sectors most dependent on Asian production and most intensely affected by the closures.
For these companies, planning is not an option, but a necessity.
Planning makes a difference
Anticipate today to avoid criticality tomorrow
How INSPED supports companies during the Chinese New Year
INSPED supports its clients in managing shipments from China and Asia with a practical and consultative approach. It is not just a matter of arranging transportation, but of building logistics planning consistent with the actual production and operational times of the period.
We constantly monitor service trends, carrier operational variations and changing market conditions to propose reliable and sustainable solutions even at the most complex times of the year.
Why plan now for CNY 2026
Chinese New Year is not an unplanned event, but a fixture on the global logistics calendar. Those who face it early manage to reduce delays, extra costs and supply chain disruptions.
Those who underestimate it often find themselves dealing with emergencies.