Which Areas Will Ramadan Affect International Shipping?
During Ramadan, Islamic consumers and businesses may purchase and reserve in advance to cope with demand during the festival. This will lead to increased logistics traffic, especially during the peak shipping period before Ramadan. In addition, during Ramadan, the working hours of employees of government agencies, customs, ports, freight forwarders and other related enterprises in some areas may be shortened, which may also lead to delays in the approval and decision-making of certain documents, thus affecting the speed and efficiency of logistics transportation.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is a month of customs and rituals unique to Islam. First of all, since Muslims fast during Ramadan, they cannot eat or drink during the day as a pious offering to God. This may lead to reduced work efficiency of dock workers and logistics practitioners in some areas, thereby affecting the speed of cargo transportation and customs clearance.
Second, demand for specific food items may increase during Eid al-Fitr as Muslim households prepare for celebrations, which may prompt an increase in international shipments of related goods.
However, due to shortened working hours and delays in some document processing during Ramadan, logistics companies and cargo owners may need to plan ahead to deal with possible customs clearance delays and slow transportation issues.
When is Ramadhan?
According to the calendar released by Dubai’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD), Ramadan will begin on March 12, 2024 (Tuesday). Another view, based on astronomical calculations, predicts that Ramadan will begin on Monday, March 11, 2024.
The Eid al-Fitr holiday in 2024 is expected to last from Monday, April 8 to Friday, April 12. The specific dates of Ramadan may vary by region or religious denomination.
Areas where Ramadan has an impact on logistics and transportation
The regions where Ramadan has a major impact on logistics and transportation are mainly concentrated in the Middle East, India and Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. Due to religious beliefs in these areas, there will be a large number of religious activities and festivals celebrated during Ramadan, resulting in increased logistics demand and transportation time may be affected to a certain extent.
Indonesia
As one of the countries with the largest Muslim population, Indonesia’s Ramadan is a major festival that promotes people’s shopping and consumption. May and June every year are very Muslim months, and Ramadan is considered the holiest period for millions of Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia. During this period, Indonesia's logistics demand will increase dramatically, especially in clothing, food, toys, gifts, cosmetics and consumer electronics.
Malaysia
Eid al-Fitr, which follows the end of Ramadan, is a day of joy and celebration in the Islamic world. It is usually a three-day holiday. It is also a time of celebration and reunion, and many young men and women choose to hold grand weddings at this time. Muslims will bathe and change clothes, go to the mosque to attend the ceremony, and then prepare sumptuous food, such as mutton stew, pilaf, etc., to share with relatives and friends. At the same time, they exchange "colorful eyes" to express blessings and greetings. Some families will also ask imams to read the Quran on the graves of deceased relatives and friends to express their condolences.
Southeast Asian market
In addition to Indonesia and Malaysia, other Southeast Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brunei, etc. also show strong logistics demand during Ramadan. During this period, foreign trade companies need to pay attention to the impact of Ramadan on customs clearance, transportation time and efficiency in order to better respond to market demand.
During Ramadan, due to the influence of religious customs, logistics efficiency generally declines. This situation is not limited to the destination port, but also requires special attention at transit ports passing through relevant countries. Because they cannot eat or drink during the day, dock workers' physical strength will decrease and the speed of processing goods will also be slower.
Logistics service provider Stone3pl responds to possible delays
Plan and prepare ahead of time
For logistics and transportation involving these areas, Stone3pl recommends that customers plan in advance during Ramadan to minimize possible delays and changes. This helps deal with possible delays and changes.
Maintain close contact with local logistics partners
Maintain close contact with local logistics partners to keep abreast of logistics and transportation conditions and changes during Ramadan. Ensure that you can keep abreast of logistics and transportation conditions and changes during Ramadan.
Respect local religious customs and holiday traditions
Stone3pl fully understands and respects local religious customs and festival traditions when handling international logistics operations involving Muslim countries and regions. This helps to conduct business better and establish good business relationships.
Adjust transportation strategies according to actual conditions to ensure that customers' goods arrive at their destination safely and on time while minimizing delays and inconvenience.
Through these measures, Stone3pl is committed to providing customers with efficient and reliable logistics services to ensure smooth logistics transportation during the holidays.
