Every year the same thing happens. In October, importers in Europe, the United States and Australia start filling their warehouses for Christmas, and a few weeks later for Chinese New Year. Vessel space out of Asia tightens, rates rise and bookings that used to be confirmed in days start taking weeks. If your goods have to arrive before the holidays, the deadline that matters is not the delivery date. It is the booking date.
Plan backwards from the arrival date
The most reliable way to hit a year end deadline is to start from the day the goods must reach your buyer and count back. Each step below is a typical range, not a promise, because routes and carriers differ.
- Door to door transit. Sea freight from Indonesia to Europe or the US usually needs six to eight weeks including pickup, customs at both ends and final delivery. Australia is shorter, often three to five weeks.
- Container cut off. The loaded container and the export documents must be at the port two to three days before the vessel sails.
- Booking. In peak season, confirm the space three to four weeks before sailing. Outside the peak, two weeks is often enough.
- Production and packing. Add the time your factory or supplier needs to finish, pack and, for wooden goods, fumigate.
A worked example
Say your buyer in Germany needs the goods in their warehouse by 15 December. Allow eight weeks door to door and the container needs to sail by around 20 October. With a cut off three days earlier, the cargo must be packed and at the port by about 17 October, and the booking should have gone in by late September. If you are reading this in October for a December arrival in Europe, sea freight is already tight and it is worth asking about air for at least part of the order.
Air freight deadlines are later, but not unlimited
Air cargo moves in days, so the last safe date is much closer to the holidays. But air space also fills up in December as e-commerce volumes peak, and rates climb with it. For anything that must arrive before Christmas, book air freight by late November, and expect to pay more than you would in September. Our guide to what cargo from Bali actually costs explains how air rates are calculated.
What causes most year end delays
- Late documents. Certificates of origin, permits and fumigation certificates take days. Start them with the booking, not after the cargo is ready.
- Rolled cargo. When a vessel is overbooked, cargo without a firm booking is moved to the next sailing, sometimes a week later.
- Port congestion at destination. Busy terminals in Europe and the US can add days before a container is even available for collection.
- Holiday closures. Warehouses and customs brokers at the destination may close or run reduced hours over Christmas and New Year.
Chinese New Year comes straight after
In 2027, Chinese New Year falls in early February. Factories across Asia slow down or close for one to two weeks, and the rush to ship before it starts in early January. If you are planning a shipment for the first quarter, book it now as well, while space is still available.
How to protect a year end shipment
- Book early and get the booking confirmed in writing.
- Prepare documents in parallel with production, not after it.
- Keep a buffer of at least one week between the expected arrival and the real deadline.
- Consider splitting the order: urgent stock by air, the rest by sea.
- Insure the cargo if the value justifies it, as explained in our cargo insurance guide.
Get a year end plan for your shipment
Tell us what you are shipping, where it is going and the date it must arrive. We will work backwards from that date, tell you honestly whether sea freight can still make it, and hold the space once you confirm. Requests go through our quote form, and short answers to common questions are on the FAQ page.
