If you’re exporting goods from the UK to Asia, you’ll know timing is everything. But what happens when major festivals and holidays affect your shipping schedule?
Cultural celebrations majorly influence global logistics timelines, affecting everything from when products leave the factory floor to when they arrive at your warehouse door. But with strategic planning, clever use of air freight and sea freight, and the right freight forwarding partner, these seasonal challenges become manageable parts of your logistics operations.
Major ASEAN Festivals and Their Impact on Cargo Shipping
Lunar New Year Holiday
Chinese New Year is the biggest annual disruption to Asian production and freight, affecting China and ASEAN countries with strong cultural ties, large Chinese communities, or trade dependencies on China. This celebration affects the entire supply chain for several weeks, with factories closing, port congestion and customs working at reduced capacity.
Most manufacturers pause production for two to three weeks, which means shipping volumes surge before and after the holiday period. This affects countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, where local businesses with Chinese ties may also shut down temporarily.
The ripple effect extends to regional supply chains in countries like Vietnam and Thailand, which rely on imports from China. This creates increased demand for both air freight and sea freight services, so there is often less availability and more expensive rates.
Many businesses find their standard shipping timelines extended by several weeks during this period, especially for shipments passing through the major ports and shipping routes in Indonesia, Malaysia or Singapore.
Other Holidays in China and Traditional Chinese Celebrations
Chinese New Year is not the only holiday to be aware of when shipping from the UK to China. You’ll also need to be aware of:
Golden Week
Starting October 1st, Golden Week has a big impact across China. This seven-day national holiday results in nationwide business closures and reduced port activities. Plan for:
- Complete factory shutdowns
- Minimal port staffing levels
- Extended lead times from late September through mid-October
- Limited freight capacity during peak season
The Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival, though shorter in duration, creates large disruptions during the early summer shipping season, including:
- Reduced port schedules
- Many factories modifying their production timelines
- Potential congestion at major ports
- Adjusted air freight and sea freight schedules
The Mid-Autumn Festival
As the name suggests, this festival takes place between September and early October and knocks on to services for 3-4 days:
- Manufacturing and suppliers slowing down before and after the festival
- Reduced staff at ports and customs offices
- Potential delays for sea freight services
- Limited air freight capacity due to increased passenger flights
- Higher freight rates
The Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week fall during important pre-Christmas preparation time. So, whilst China does not officially celebrate Christmas, this may impact your supply chain.
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
During Ramadan, shipping across Southeast Asia adapts to modified working hours, particularly in countries with large Muslim populations. When shipping from the UK to Indonesia, reduced port and customs facility hours can significantly impact processing times, especially during peak holiday periods.
The end of Ramadan brings Eid al-Fitr, when many businesses close completely for several days. This often leads to surges in shipments, so if you are shipping from the UK to Malaysia, you’ll need to carefully schedule to avoid delays caused by the concentrated import activity before and after Eid.
Region Specific Celebrations
Each country in Asia has important festivals that act as a shipping holiday throughout the year. During India’s Diwali festival, you’ll see changes in supply chain and logistics operations across the country, while the Philippines slows down cargo transportation during Christmas and Holy Week celebrations.
Beat the Holiday Rush: Smart Shipping Tips
Take Note of Your Supply Chain Timeline
Planning ahead is sensible when exporting during major Asian holidays and festivals. Start by mapping out the main celebration dates affecting your specific trade routes.
For businesses exporting from the UK to China, be aware that Chinese holidays follow the Chinese lunar calendar, which means the dates shift each year on a Western calendar. Ramadan and Eid al-Fitre are based on the Islamic lunar calendar, so their dates are also not fixed and shift each year by about 10-12 days.
Adding holiday season dates to a detailed monthly calendar will help keep your supply chain running smoothly. For example, using the Chinese New Year holiday as your starting point, you can work backwards to calculate lead times for customs clearance and transit periods, so the ideal dates to have your cargo ready by don’t come as a surprise.
During festival seasons, standard transportation times often need to be extended. A shipment that typically takes 30 days might require 45-50 days when crossing a major holiday period because of reduced port and customs operating hours and congestion from a surge in shipments before and after the festival.
Depending on what products you are exporting, it’s also worth factoring in that there may be an increased demand for goods during holidays because of gift-giving and celebrations, so you may need to send larger quantities, too.
Minimise the Risk of Global Shipping Delays
Advanced booking becomes your best defence against public holiday freight forwarding delays. You should aim to book your sea freight space at least eight weeks before major festivals, particularly Chinese New Year festivities. For air freight shipments, plan to lock in space four to six weeks ahead. This proactive approach helps ensure capacity while often securing better rates.
You should also think about your inventory management strategy carefully. Partnering with a reliable warehousing services provider can help you build buffer stock before peak seasons or holidays. Storing additional inventory closer to your customers or key markets will guarantee a steady supply of products even when shipping lines have longer transit times or reduced operations. This safeguards your supply chain and also helps maintain customer satisfaction by preventing stockouts, backorders, or extended delivery times during periods of high demand or limited shipping capacity.
Weigh Up Air vs. Sea Freight During Festival Dates
You’ll need to carefully think about alternative shipping and weigh up air freight vs sea freight costs during holidays and festivals. Sea freight offers cost advantages but it needs much more planning around festival dates. While air freight is charged at premium rates, it can provide valuable flexibility when managing tight deadlines during the holiday season.
The right choice often depends on your specific circumstances. For high-value, time-sensitive items, it might be worth paying the higher costs for air freight. However, bulky products or cargo with flexible timelines might be fine by sea, provided you plan well in advance of holiday shutdowns.
What can I do to help avoid holiday shipping delays?
Use Digital Tools for Holiday Planning
Managing shipments during important holiday periods can be challenging, but the right digital tools can save you time and hassle. Modern tracking systems let you monitor your cargo in real-time, so you’ll know instantly if festivals or holidays are causing delays. You can use this information to adapt your plans and keep your customers in the loop.
If you’re sending regular shipments to Asia, digital planning tools help you calculate accurate delivery times by automatically factoring in holiday periods. This data-driven approach removes uncertainty about arrival times, even during major festivals like Chinese New Year or Ramadan.
Choose Experienced Freight Forwarders
Choosing a reliable freight forwarder will make a huge difference to your success in exporting to ASEAN countries over holiday periods. You want a company that knows ASEAN shipping routes inside out and has strong local connections. These relationships prove invaluable when you need to clear customs or manage shipments during reduced holiday operating hours.
When you work with an experienced freight forwarder, you’ll gain access to thorough solutions, including warehousing services, expert customs clearance, and dependable freight cargo insurance. This integrated approach helps keep your shipments moving smoothly, even when standard routes face shipping disruptions. This could be the difference between outpacing your competitors or falling behind.
Don’t Let Chinese Holidays Impact Shipping & Logistics Operations. Partners with Us Today.
You shouldn’t have to worry about how Asian holidays will affect your shipments. At SLG Logistics, we understand the challenges you face when shipping between the UK and ASEAN countries. Our expertise in air freight and sea freight, combined with our local market expertise, means we’ll keep your goods moving, even during major celebrations.
Ready to make holiday logistics easier? Contact our team to get a quote and discover how our experience can help streamline your export strategy during festival periods.