Importers Shift Focus to Critical SKUs as Holiday Window Approaches
As the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday — beginning February 17 — nears, global supply chain planners are taking a more targeted approach to inventory management and freight movement, according to industry experts.
Rather than heavily stockpiling broad volumes, importers and logistics teams are concentrating on securing key SKUs and fine‑tuning shipment timing to mitigate disruptions caused by factory closures and transport slowdowns across Asia.
Supply chain professionals from C.H. Robinson and SEKO Logistics told Supply Chain Dive that this year’s Lunar New Year is being treated as a segmented event with varied shutdown timelines in China, Taiwan and Vietnam, leading to more nuanced planning challenges.
With some factories closing for up to nine days and others beginning production cutbacks weeks in advance, the emphasis for 2026 is on item‑level visibility so importers can decide when and how to move or delay specific products rather than building broad safety stock across the board.
Sharper Planning Makes Stockpiling Less Dominant
Experts noted that much of the pre‑holiday volume that was front‑loaded in 2025 has already been consumed by year‑end promotions and regular demand, leaving inventory ratios closer to normal levels heading into the Lunar New Year season. That reduces the need for blanket overstocking and instead steers shippers toward planning that aligns more closely with actual demand and transit realities.
C.H. Robinson’s leadership emphasizes that there is no one‑size‑fits‑all strategy; supply chain teams should plan lane by lane and supplier by supplier to account for variations in production shutdowns and reopening timelines.
With ocean shipping expected to experience an intense but shorter surge and air freight capacity remaining relatively steady, diversifying modes, booking early, and securing alternative routes or ports are among the tactics recommended to keep freight flowing smoothly.
Looking Beyond the Holiday to Q1 Resilience
In addition to navigating the immediate shutdown period, logistics professionals stress the importance of planning beyond the holiday itself. Factory reopenings can be staggered, and port congestion may linger, meaning delays can extend into the first quarter if not carefully managed.
Precision planning — anchored in SKU prioritization, flexible routing, and early booking commitments — is poised to be a defining feature of the global supply chain response to Lunar New Year 2026.
More about holidays:
Staff Report
Staff Report
Staff Report
