Pre-planning and strategising throughout your supply chain is a proven way of minimising delays and controlling costs. The pandemic has turned international shipment on its head, bringing a host of challenges that we’re wading through right now. But the impact of international holidays has long been one that businesses need to take into account. Chinese New Year and, for 2022, the Olympic Games in Beijing, are likely to cause their degree of disruption to freight movement. Therefore, pre-planning and understanding this potential hit is vital. Read on to hear more from our experts.
Chinese New Year
The pandemic has highlighted a major weakness in many supply chains – the high dependency on Chinese imports. When factories closed and the virus spread like wildfire, the impact that this had on the UK and global economies were significant. And now, as we enter into February, there will be another factor for delays in the form of Chinese New Year. These annual celebrations occur every single year, falling on the 1st of February. The holiday lasts for 16 days and, during this time, many companies in China close. The adult workforce takes an extended holiday and time to travel back to the family.
Supply chains are always impacted by these closures. But the results in 2022 could be far more severe. A continued shortage of containers, existing delays in delivery times and staff shortages due to isolation will all play a role. Production delays are predicted to be as long as 4 weeks, there is a risk that the quality of goods will depreciate and shipping delays will increase.
Olympic Games Beijing 2022
February 4th also sees the start of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. With an influx of international travellers expected in the country, the Chinese government is working towards a zero-COVID environment. An increase in lockdowns, testing, isolation and restrictions on transit has been seen, in a bid to prevent potentially catastrophic viral spreads in advance of the games. This has added to the long list of reasons why shipments are being delayed.
Pair these two large scale events together and it’s no surprise that businesses are becoming concerned with the potential impact. Here at Radius Warehouse & Logistic Services, we have over 25 years of experience navigating complications such as these. Our team of highly skilled and professional freight forwarders lean into their contacts and wealth of knowledge to get you the quickest and most convenient shipment plans. To discuss the potential impact that the Lunar New Year shutdowns and Olympics 2022 could have on your deliveries, please do get in contact with us here today.
