It’s 2015, Are You Ready for the Chinese New Year?
According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2015 is the year of either the Goat, Sheep or Horned-Animal (i.e., Ram). You may designate either animal, as you think best.
But whichever one you choose, Chinese New Year (CNY) is nearly around the corner, and transpacific shippers must once again prepare themselves for the inevitable annual impact it will have on their supply chain operations.
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the biggest holiday of the year in China. This year, the Chinese New Year begins on February 19, and most Chinese will have eight days or more of vacation, commonly referred to as Golden Week.
Because this traditional holiday brings families together to celebrate the New Year, it is common for many companies to extend their shutdown periods prior to and after CNY to allow employees to travel home to celebrate with family.
Customary activities include fireworks, red decorations, the New Year’s Dinner and an exchange of red monetary envelopes. But the planning for CNY goes beyond these traditional celebrations as transpacific shippers have come to grasp the real effects of the extended holiday period. Let’s examine some things to consider:
- Take the opportunity to communicate your production deadlines early in order to avoid potential delays.
- The increase in inventory and the pressure to get those goods underway prior to the CNY shutdown can create a backlog of goods awaiting export from Chinese ports.
- Some factories may also not experience a 100-percent return of their workers until after the holiday – further extending the time to return to full capacity.
- Shipments should arrive at the ports no later than 10 days prior to the CNY in order to ship before the holiday.
- It is particularly wise to book shipments two weeks in advance to ensure space on vessels.
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