Chinese New Year 2027

New Year's Day

Sat, Feb 6New Year's Eve (除夕) is Friday, Feb 5.

Official days off

~Feb 5–13Projected. State Council publishes the real schedule ~Nov–Dec.

Factories actually closed

~Jan 28 – Feb 20Many wind down from Jan 23. Some restart later.

Back to full capacity

~Mid-MarchIf the workers come back. Not all of them do.

Countdown

— daysuntil the lights go off.

The one-line version: if it must leave China before Spring Festival, have a confirmed PO and a paid deposit by December 1. Have it loaded in a container by January 15. Expect nothing new to happen between January 23 and February 20.

1. Oct 8 – Nov 14, 2026

   The order window

   Golden Week is over, and this is the calm before the storm. Factories still have capacity and prices haven't been "adjusted" yet.

   • Forecast everything you'll need until end of March, not end of January.
   • Place POs for anything that must ship before CNY.
   • Ask every supplier for their exact closing and reopening dates, in writing.
   • Lock prices now. Raw-material "increases" arrive with the cold weather.
2. Nov 15 – Dec 1, 2026

   Last call

   The pre-CNY rush starts. Every buyer on earth discovers the calendar at the same time.

   • Final pre-CNY POs confirmed, deposits paid and received (international transfers take days).
   • Pre-book freight space with your forwarder. Rates are already climbing.
   • Approve all artwork, packaging and samples. No changes after this.
3. Dec 2 – Dec 20, 2026

   Production cut-off

   Lines are full. New orders now get a polite "after Chinese New Year".

   • Book third-party QC inspections now. Inspectors are booked solid in January.
   • Don't introduce new SKUs, new tooling or design changes. Seriously.
   • Ask for weekly production photos. Dated ones.
4. Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 15, 2027

   The rush & the last containers

   Factories run overtime to clear orders before workers leave. This is peak "quality is a little bit different" season.

   • Inspect before you pay the balance. Rushed lines produce rushed goods.
   • Expect rolled bookings and surcharges. Have a backup sailing.
   • ~Jan 15 is the last realistic loading date for sea freight. Anything later is a gamble.
5. Jan 16 – Jan 27, 2027

   The exodus

   Chunyun (春运) begins around Jan 22: some 40 days of the largest annual human migration on the planet. Workers leave early to get tickets home.

   • Factories drop to a skeleton crew. Offices slow down.
   • Send any final payments now. Banks close for the holiday.
   • Get every open question answered in writing before people disappear.
6. Jan 28 – Feb 19, 2027

   Lights off · 春节

   New Year's Eve is Feb 5, New Year's Day Feb 6. Hundreds of millions of people are home with family, often for the only time all year. Let them be.

   • No production. No replies. No, "just a quick question" is not quick.
   • One "新年快乐" (Xīnnián kuàilè, Happy New Year) message to your contacts goes a long way.
   • Use the time: review suppliers, plan Q2, and update your forecast.
7. Feb 20 – Mar 15, 2027

   The great return

   Lantern Festival (元宵节) on Feb 20 traditionally ends the season. Doors reopen, but capacity doesn't.

   • A share of workers don't return; new hires need training, so watch quality on the first batches.
   • Pre-holiday orders are processed first-in, first-out. Re-confirm your place in the queue.
   • Re-confirm prices too. New year, new "adjustments".
8. Mid-March 2027 →

   Normal(ish)

   Full speed again, just in time for Qingming (Apr 3–5), Canton Fair (mid-April) and May Day (May 1–5).

   • Write down what went wrong this year while it still hurts.
   • CNY 2028 is January 26, eleven days earlier. Your cut-off moves to mid-November 2027.

Dates marked TBA are projected from the lunar calendar and will be updated when the State Council publishes the official schedule.