December 16, 2024
This article talks about preparing for office and factory closures during the Lunar New Year in 2025. Planning ahead for these closures can aid in managing shipping schedules efficiently for your global supply chain.
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, as it is often called, the Lunar New Year celebrates the beginning of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. It is celebrated in many countries throughout Asia, not only in China but also Singapore, Hong Kong and more. In Vietnam for example, the holiday is called Tet, the full name is "Tet Nguyen Dan".
Ending with the Lantern Festival, the Lunar New Year dates are subject to the Chinese lunar calendar 2025, currently dates have been announced that Chinese New Year 2025 will begin on Wednesday 29th January 2025 and the public holiday will begin the day before, which is earlier than the festivities held in 2024.
Important Dates in the Lunar New Calendar: CNY 2025
From country to country, the lunar new year vacation differs according to the different celebrations. The public holiday in the People's Republic of China will last for a full eight days in 2025. Generally, the festivities start from the Lunar New Year's Eve, otherwise known as Spring Festival Eve, to the seventh day of the first lunar month. In effect this means that the work force will have National Holiday from Tuesday 28th January in order to celebrate the evening festivities until February 4th 2025.
Notably, the Sunday of the previous weekend before the national holiday (Jan.26th, 2025) and Saturday of the following weekend (Feb. 8th, 2025) will be working days in lieu in mainland China.
In previous years, some companies have allowed its workforce additional leave which extends the holiday period, usually operating with skeleton staff in core locations. Factories and trucking companies will also release their workers and drivers earlier before the public holiday officially starts. This usually begins one week before the holiday. Trucking resources become limited and therefore transportation costs escalate for pick up and distribution during this period.
The Chinese public holiday in 2025 for the Lunar New Year starts on January 28th until the 4th of February in 2025. At times, workers may have the opportunity to take a longer break during the holiday season.
Holiday dates will be variable according to the company, therefore it is best to check with your core suppliers in advance when they expect their holiday season to commence and work accordingly to prepare your orders in advance to avoid shipping delays as well as production issues.
Remember, the Lunar New Year holidays can also impact manufacturing hubs in many areas in Asia such as Vietnam who also celebrate Tet in the same holiday period, Malaysia and Thailand.
The Spring festival travel rush, also known as the Spring Festival Migration arises during the Chinese New Year holiday as it is a time for family reunions and celebrations. Many people travel to their hometowns to visit parents and relatives. In a lot of cases, you may receive office closure notices from production sites who cease operations during this time.
In the lead up to Chinese New Year, transportation and logistics becomes a peak period in the shipping industry through increased demand for goods to be shipped. Generally orders are placed early to compensate for the holiday period which does put pressure on transportation and logistics frameworks both domestically and internationally to meet transit times.
The logistics industry can expect disruptions during Lunar New Year in 2025, especially in P.R. China where manufacturing facilities shut down for employees to celebrate with loved ones. Planning in advance is crucial to optimize air freight, ocean freight, and overall logistics operations during this festive period. Bear in mind the increased demand during the peak time significantly impacts freight rates. The shutdown before and during the holiday period can also contribute towards delays for shipping your goods.
With fewer employees working on-site during the holiday season, production times may be extended. It is important to factor in longer production times and delays in receiving quotations. Production typically slows down and there may be a backlog of orders, with factories giving priority to their regular and valued clients. Limited capacity and higher costs for trucking and drayage are expected one week before and after the public holiday. Ocean carriers will adjust their schedules with blank sailings, and airlines may cancel flights. It is advisable to plan ahead and anticipate these challenges during the festive period.
We suggest as part of your supply chain planning to inform us of your shipment booking requirements, at your earliest convenience, to avoid any disruption and plan in advance for the receipt of your goods.
With the Chinese New Year being earlier than in previous years and closer to the Christmas period, please reach out to your local Crane Worldwide representative as early as possible to ensure we can provide you with the best solution to cover this busy period.
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Did you know...? Crane Worldwide has 130 locations, in 30 countries around the world and are able to provide full international logistics services.
In Asia, we have a strong presence throughout P.R. China as well as Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. We are also located in Australia. It is never too early to start your planning for the busy periods around Christmas and the Lunar New Year and our logistics experts will provide guidance and foresight as to how you can overcome any potential disruption by starting the conversation early.
You can check out our global directory available here for a full list of Crane Worldwide Locations. With increased disruption in global trade due to geopolitical complications, we look forward to discussing your requirements and working in partnership with you to provide logistics solutions in advance.
Please don't hesitate to reach out for a freight quote/logistics support in Asia.
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