Right now, Christmas probably seems all-consuming, but Chinese New Year (CNY) in 2022 will be upon us before we know it. Next year, the CNY 2022 holiday period is from 31 January to 6 February.
To minimise the rush and avoid potential disappointment in your freight movement from China, please take some time to consider your shipping needs well in advance of the holiday.
CHINA OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED FROM 31 JANUARY TO 6 FEBRUARY 2022
(RESUME WORK ON 7 FEBRUARY 2022).
HONG KONG OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED FROM 1 FEBRUARY TO 3 FEBRUARY 2022
(RESUME WORK ON 4 FEBRUARY 2022).
IMPORT SHIPMENTS FROM SOUTH CHINA PORTS:
There will be limited South China Feeder services in January & February. The ports in the Pearl Delta region of Guangzhou will be particularly impacted. There are no changes for cargo on vessels directly loading out of Hong Kong, Shekou, Yantian and Nansha.
FCL & LCL FROM ALL CHINA PORTS:
Most factories shut down for the main holidays, some for even longer. While the factories make every effort to process as many orders as possible before the holiday, we recommend booking shipments 3 – 4 weeks in advance to avoid disappointment. Carriers are not accepting changes to secure the bookings. If changes are required, it will necessitate a cancellation and rebooking – subject to booking cancellation fee and space availability.
Most shippers and factories will arrange orders to ship before the shutdown.
Space will remain extremely tight throughout January. Rollovers, port congestion and vessel delays at transhipment ports are expected to continue early in 2022. Transit times are still longer than usual. Please allow additional weeks for your ETA.
CHINA CUSTOMS:
China customs will arrange skeleton staff on duty or half-day duty throughout CNY at some ports. Most Customs brokers, trucking companies and LCL warehouse operations will also be closed. Therefore, we suggest the following:
- Complete the customs clearance process for all shipments before CNY
- For emergency or exceptional cases you may be encounter during the holiday, advance notice (including complete customs documents) will be required to determine feasibility
TRUCKING SERVICES:
Most of the transport companies will stop services one week before the CNY. As with the ports, the trucking companies will be at capacity in the two weeks leading up to CNY. During this time, trucking arrangements will need to be booked at least ten days (FCL) & 7-10 days (LCL) in advance of requirements.
There will also be increases in trucking costs during and before CNY.
If you have any queries about a freight movement early next year, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 1300 651 888 or via email at e.lenkic@maglog.com.au
