Lunar New Year 2026 Logistics Strategy: Shippers Prioritize Critical SKU Replenishment Over Mass Stockpiling

Leading up to the Lunar New Year (LNY), shippers are shifting their focus toward replenishing critical SKUs rather than executing mass inventory stockpiling. According to experts speaking to Supply Chain Dive, this Year of the Horse will be defined by visibility at the item level.

The Lunar New Year holiday this year begins on February 17 - later than in recent years - with factories in China, Taiwan (China), and Vietnam expected to close for approximately nine days. Mr. Chikei Ho, General Manager of APAC trade lane development at Seko Logistics, noted that although shippers made efforts to frontload cargo in 2025, much of that inventory was absorbed by year-end promotions and holiday shopping. Consequently, inventory-to-sales ratios for many retailers have returned to near pre-pandemic levels for the 2026 season.

Therefore, the current Lunar New Year peak, while still strong, aligns more with actual demand rather than the building of safety stock. Furthermore, the later start to the holiday allows some retailers time to clear holiday inventory and plan Q1 replenishment before factories close.

A Segmented Market, Not a "Single Script"

Commenting on the market landscape, Ms. Lucia Fu, Vice President of Sales for Greater China at Seko Logistics, stated there are “lower overall volumes than LNY 2025’s frenzy, but don’t mistake that for easier conditions.”

She emphasized: “Those still moving freight are competing for tighter windows with longer transit times.”

Because holiday schedules vary across countries, shippers may face location-specific dynamics. Therefore, Mr. Matt Castle, Vice President of Global Forwarding at C.H. Robinson, advises that the Lunar New Year should be treated as a segmented event rather than a single, uniform shutdown.

Mr. Castle affirmed: “There’s no ‘one size fits all’.” He added: “It’s best to plan supplier by supplier and lane by lane.”

For example, most of China is planning to close for at least a week. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the market is recording a pre-holiday surge in ocean exports on Trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe lanes.

In North America, Mr. Ho from Seko Logistics noted that shippers are “balancing the cost of premium capacity against the risk of Q1 stockouts, often deciding lane by lane whether to frontload or accept leaner inventories through the LNY period.”

Maintaining Cargo Flow: The Importance of SKUs

To keep cargo moving, shippers need clear visibility of critical SKUs and their locations to accelerate, decelerate, or re-route shipments if market conditions change.

Now is the time to shift critical SKUs to airfreight before the market rebounds in late January and early February. On the ocean freight side - expected to experience a "short but intense pulse" - Mr. Castle noted that there are still plenty of solutions to maintain cargo flow.

Mr. Castle advised: “You can still shift cargo to air if it’s urgent, and you can re-route ocean shipments through alternate ports that have more capacity.”

He emphasized port preparation: “Make sure you plan fast handoffs. Pre book port services, confirm drayage and chassis, and line up transloading. That alone can save days.”

Some blank sailings and schedule changes are anticipated, but an industry-wide crisis is not forecast due to ample available vessel capacity. Utilizing Less-than-Container Load (LCL) services when Full Container Load (FCL) space is restricted is also a useful solution.

In cases where cargo is delayed to a later date, it is crucial to make up time in other stages.

Mr. Castle recommended: “Book your transfers early, make sure the equipment is reserved, and keep backup routes ready so one schedule change doesn’t cost you a whole week.”

Peak activity is expected to occur from one to three weeks before mid-February.

Concluding on the overall strategy, Mr. Castle shared: “Focus on the routes and products that matter most, build flexibility into when and where your inventory lands, and make sure the handoffs at the port go smoothly.”

“If you do those things well, Lunar New Year becomes just another part of your greater plan, not a disruption.”

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Supply Chain Dive)

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