The countdown has begun: is your the international shipping schedule well planned?
The Chinese New Year 2020 and the upcoming Italian Christmas closing will happen at weeks that are near in time: our suggestion is to keep in mind these events to better plan the next international shipments to/from China Italy.
Logistics and international shipping for the Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year has a huge impact on global supply chains originating from China. It’s never too early to start planning for China’s biggest holiday. The earlier you begin, the better your supply chain will be. The China customs at major ports is pretty much operational throughout the holiday except for 2-3 days. However they are under-staffed & that combined with the congestion at the port leads to delays.
Shipments must be at port at least 10 days before CNY to ensure shipment before the break starts. Shipments must also be booked at least two weeks in advance because space will quickly fill up.
All this to make sure they are shipped before the holidays start.
It’s important to have a trusted supplier and communicate with him in order to understand the right timing on order placement and those on transport.
On the other hand, the same concept applies to shipments from Italy to China: organizing in time is always a good idea.The most suitable time to reserve the ship space starts from now until early December. Programming the loads taking into account the maritime transit time (around one month) and the arrival date, will allow Chinese importers to handle customs clearance in time before the beginning of the New Year, avoiding the congestion.
The Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year will begin Saturday, January 25th, 2020 and will last until February 9th, for a total of about 15 days. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2020 will be the year of the Rat, symbol of material prosperity and protection.
Officially, Chinese people will be able to obtain seven days of absence from work, from 24th to 30th January. In order to give employees time to back home to their families, most Chinese companies close one to two weeks prior to the actual date. They often remain closed for two additional weeks after the CNY date. Even after they open, factories rarely have enough employees return in time to produce at full capacity. This may cause a stop or a serious delay in deliveries.
Definitely, if you are planning any international shipments to/from China, keep the key concept in mind: in mood with the Chinese New Year, plan your transport calendar as well as a real logistics “Rat”!
Contact us for your international shipments to/from China. We’ll be pleased to be your trusted freight forwarder in Italy!
