Import & Export Guides
Chinese New Year: How the Factory Shutdown Affects Your China Imports
Jun
Once a year, much of China’s manufacturing stops. Around Chinese New Year, factories close, workers travel home, and the backlog before and after ripples through shipping for weeks. If you import from China, this is the one date on the calendar that can quietly wreck your lead times — and it is easy to plan around once you know how it works.
What actually happens around Chinese New Year
The shutdown is bigger than a single public holiday:
- Factories close for weeks, not days — many workers travel home and return gradually.
- Production slows before the break as factories rush to clear orders.
- Capacity is reduced after as staff return over time and lines restart.
- Freight gets congested in the rush to ship before everything closes.
The date moves every year because it follows the lunar calendar, so check the current year’s dates rather than assuming — and remember the disruption stretches well before and after the holiday itself.
How it hits your order
- Longer lead times: an order placed too close to the break can slip by weeks.
- Quality risk in the rush: last-minute production before closing can be less careful.
- Shipping delays: demand for space spikes right before the shutdown.
- Slow restart: the first weeks back are not at full speed.
How to plan around it
A little forward planning removes almost all the pain:
- Order early: place and confirm orders well before the break.
- Build a buffer: hold extra stock to cover the shutdown weeks.
- Confirm the schedule: ask the factory its closing and reopening dates.
- Approve samples early so production is not waiting on you.
- Consider air freight for urgent goods when sea timelines are tight.
If you are weighing speed against cost, our guide on sea freight vs air freight helps you choose.
How DE International keeps you ahead of the shutdown
DE International tracks factory schedules around the holiday, pushes to confirm and inspect your order before the break, and plans shipping so your stock is moving while everyone else is queuing. We can consolidate and ship by LCL or FCL or by air depending on your timing.
Planning imports around Chinese New Year? Tell us your timeline and we will work back from it. See our services or contact us to plan ahead.
