by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

Shipping analysts highlighted a significant congestion level at China's major ports a few days before the Chinese New Year (CNY) 2025.

During the eight-day holiday, which started this week, factory closures and reduced operations are expected, impacting cargo movement and vessel handling.

According to the latest report by market intelligence firm Linerlytica, port congestion surged globally in the past few months, notably at Chinese ports.

Ports in Asia, Europe, and North America hold up almost 3.3 million TEU in week 4 of 2025, nearly 11% of the container shipping fleet.

Analysts claim that high pre-CNY cargo volumes and bad weather conditions have driven port congestion to a new 3-month high.

"Chinese ports are extremely congested in the run-up to the holidays next week, with both the Yangtze River ports and Pearl River delta ports recording a significant surge in gate and berth congestion," wrote Linerlytica on Monday.

Exporters have also expedited their shipments before the potential implementation of USA tariffs on Chinese goods.

Reuters reported that a lorry driver had to spend several hours transporting a loaded container to a container yard at the Port of Yantian, which is four times the duration he typically requires on a regular day.

The current holidays will extend until 4 February and are, therefore, anticipated to cause delays in container handling at ports across China and the surrounding region.

For the latest port status and vessel waiting times at ports, please refer to our weekly port update or the seaexplorer alert map.