As we start off 2017, we have seen the January 1st General Rate Increase (GRI) stick. This GRI is directly tied to the upcoming Chinese (Lunar) New Year. During this holiday, people originally from the Chinese countryside, who now work in far-off big cities, return to their small home towns. This Chinese New year shut down forces manufacturers to get the last of the finished products on the ships and planes just before the holiday begins. This causes a peak where everyone is trying to catch open space on the last ship and plane out of China. This urgency supports the GRI which is anticipated to last through mid-February.