5 peak shipping seasons to plan for in 2026

1. Chinese New Year (17–23 February 2026)

Factories across China shut down for one to two weeks around the holiday, and most close earlier than the calendar suggests, workers start traveling home days before. The result is a sharp rush to ship in the weeks before CNY, followed by a capacity crunch as production restarts slowly in March. For cargo moving through transshipment ports into Bolivia, book space 3–4 weeks ahead of the holiday and confirm your supplier's actual last production day, not just the official closure dates.

2. Summer replenishment & back-to-school (July–August 2026)

Northern-hemisphere back-to-school demand pulls apparel, footwear and electronics through ocean and ground lanes at the same time retailers are also restocking for the fall season. It's a steadier peak than the others, but it still tightens equipment availability on the routes BLS runs most, so earlier booking still pays off.

3. Golden Week, China (1–7 October 2026)

A full week of factory and port closures across China. Less disruptive than Chinese New Year since it's shorter and predictable every year, but still enough to spike short-term rates and push sailings back several days if you book late.

4. Black Friday & Cyber Monday (27–30 November 2026)

By the time these dates arrive, your inventory needs to already be in-market, there's no ocean transit fast enough to save a shipment booked in November. This is the peak where the real deadline is weeks earlier: the last viable sailing date to arrive in time is typically in September or early October.

5. End-of-year holiday season (December 2026–January 2027)

Carriers reduce sailings around Christmas and New Year (blank sailings), and this peak overlaps directly with the next year's Chinese New Year prep, so the two busiest periods on the calendar sit back-to-back with barely a lull between them.

Peak season challenges to plan around

• Equipment shortages: containers and chassis get scarce exactly when demand peaks.
• Rate volatility: spot rates can spike 2–3x in the weeks before a peak.
• Port congestion: transshipment delays compound at the ports BLS routes through.
• Customs bottlenecks: higher volumes mean more scrutiny and slower clearance windows.

How to prepare your supply chain for peak season

• Forecast demand against the calendar above, not just your sales history.
• Book ocean and ground capacity 3–4 weeks ahead of each peak, not when you need it.
• Mix FCL, LCL and ground routing so you're not dependent on one mode's availability.
• Get customs documentation right the first time, delays compound fastest during peak volume.
• Build safety stock buffers around the two hardest peaks: Chinese New Year and December.

Building a resilient supply chain with BLS

Peak seasons are predictable, even when carrier capacity isn't. Our team plans your ocean and ground bookings against this calendar before the crunch hits, and coordinates customs clearance so volume spikes don't turn into border delays.