Chinese New Year 2027: Production and Shipping Cut-Off Dates

Chinese New Year in 2027 falls on 6 February. The holiday itself is short, but the effect on production and shipping lasts much longer, because factories ramp down for one to three weeks and inland transport becomes difficult for a period on either side.

Why the cut-off is earlier than it looks

Three things happen in sequence before the holiday. Sub-suppliers — castings, springs, friction material — close first, often one to two weeks ahead of final assembly. Then the labour force travels home, and a proportion does not return on the same date. Then inland trucking to the port becomes scarce and expensive in the final week.

In practice, an order that is confirmed too late does not simply ship a week later. It ships after the factory has restarted and cleared the backlog that built up during the closure.

Practical schedule

• Orders confirmed before 10 December 2026: production completed and container loaded before the holiday. This is the only window that guarantees pre-holiday departure.
• Orders confirmed 10–31 December 2026: production is achievable, but booking space becomes the constraint. Expect departure in the first half of January if space is secured at confirmation.
• Orders confirmed after 31 December 2026: plan for production in the second half of February and departure in March.
• Sample orders: samples are less affected, but courier transit slows noticeably during the holiday week itself.

What we need from you to hold a slot

A confirmed purchase order with the packaging artwork approved. Artwork approval is the most common cause of a slipped date, because the print run cannot start without it and the print shop has the same holiday constraints as everyone else.

For private-label orders, add two weeks if the artwork has not been finalised, since a new label panel requires a proof round.

If you are planning a spring promotion

Work backwards from the retail date rather than forward from the order date. A promotion in April needs goods in your warehouse by mid-March, which means departure in early February, which means an order confirmed in December.