Freight forwarders caution shippers on Lunar New Year capacity shortage

Freight forwarders have advised shippers to secure air cargo capacity in advance of Lunar New Year celebrations to avoid delays resulting from production closures and limited capacity in Asia. Scan Global Logistics (SGL) advises shippers to book airfreight capacity at least 4-7 days before their planned shipping dates. Lunar New Year falls on February 17 and is widely observed across the Asia Pacific region, including China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries. The holiday is followed by the Lantern Festival on March 3, typically celebrated in China, Thailand and Vietnam. During this festive season, many factories and logistics providers pause operations or operate at reduced capacity. This can significantly affect production, warehousing and freight availability, especially in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said SGL. Holiday dates in China are February 15-23, February 17-19 in Hong Kong and February 14-22 in Taiwan, according to a report.