Lunar New Year: Shippers Focus on Smarter Planning Over Higher Volumes

As the Lunar New Year holiday period approaches, global shippers are moving away from heavy pre-holiday stockpiling and instead adopting a more precise, demand-driven approach to freight planning.

With factories across key Asian manufacturing hubs expected to slow down or close temporarily, businesses are prioritising the movement of essential products rather than rushing all cargo ahead of the holiday. This shift reflects a stronger focus on inventory visibility, targeted shipment decisions, and avoiding unnecessary congestion during peak weeks.

Rather than treating Lunar New Year as a single disruption, many supply chains are now planning lane by lane and supplier by supplier, taking into account varying shutdown timelines across regions.

Flexible routing options, early capacity booking, and selective use of faster transport modes are also helping businesses maintain continuity during this seasonal pause.

The takeaway for 2026 is clear: success during Lunar New Year will depend less on moving more volume, and more on moving the right cargo at the right time.