The holiday pause ends — the supply chain pressure doesn’t
Lunar New Year shutdowns across China and much of Asia may last only a few weeks, but their impact on Australian imports stretches well beyond the calendar. Factory closures, followed by a sudden restart in production, place enormous strain on shipping networks already operating with limited flexibility.
For Australian importers, the real disruption often begins after the holiday — when delayed production collides with congested ports and overbooked vessels.
Why Australia Feels the Lag
Australia imports much of its consumer goods, machinery and manufacturing inputs from Asia. When factories restart post-Lunar New Year, demand for shipping space surges at the same time. Vessels fill quickly, containers are rolled, and transit times lengthen.
Because Australia sits at the far end of these supply chains, delays compound by the time cargo reaches local ports. What starts as a one-week delay at origin can easily become several weeks by arrival.
SMEs Face the Sharpest Impact
Large retailers and importers plan Lunar New Year shipments months in advance. Many SMEs do not have that luxury. Smaller order sizes, limited storage capacity and tighter cash flow mean SMEs are more exposed to:
- Rolled bookings
- Post-holiday rate spikes
- Missed sales or production timelines
For import-dependent SMEs, these delays can disrupt entire business cycles.
Lunar New Year is no longer a short-term disruption for Australian imports. In 2026, it is a structural planning challenge — and SMEs that treat it as such are far better placed to protect supply and margins.
Source: Drewry; Reuters (2026)
Disclaimer – Market data is from public sources we consider reliable but has not been independently verified; accuracy is not guaranteed