Most delays from China are not surprises. They come from the same holidays every year: Chinese New Year, the May Day and Golden Week breaks, and the shopping festivals that swallow express capacity. Plan around them and your stock arrives on time; forget one and you lose a month.
Month by month
| Month | What happens in China | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Canton Fair autumn session: phase 1 Oct 15-19, phase 2 Oct 23-27, phase 3 Oct 31-Nov 4. US peak season tails off. | Last practical sea bookings for Christmas stock to the US West Coast. Book factory visits around the fair. |
| Nov 2026 | Singles' Day (Nov 11) floods China's express and air capacity. Black Friday Nov 27. China's official 2027 holiday schedule is usually published this month. | Place orders you need before Chinese New Year by mid-November. Avoid launching air shipments around Nov 11. |
| Dec 2026 | Pre-New Year rush builds. Carriers often add rate increases. Christmas is a normal working day in China. | Finish samples and pre-production approval by mid-December for spring launches. Book sea space 2-3 weeks ahead. |
| Jan 2027 | New Year's Day holiday Jan 1-3*. Factories slow from around Jan 20 as workers travel home. | Last realistic sailings: around Jan 10 for end-February arrival, around Jan 24 for mid-March. Get each supplier's last ship date in writing. |
| Feb 2027 | Chinese New Year on Feb 6. Official holiday Feb 5-12*; most factories close 2-4 weeks. Reopening from Feb 13, full output around early March. | Expect almost no production. Plan stock to cover 6-8 weeks. Use this time to plan Q2 orders. |
| Mar 2027 | Factories ramp up with many new workers. Quality slips are common in the first batches. | Inspect the first post-holiday production run before it ships. Book Q2 sea freight. |
| Apr 2027 | Qingming Festival Apr 3-5*. Canton Fair spring session: Apr 15-19, Apr 23-27, May 1-5*. | Plan trips around the fair phase for your category. Order stock for summer and Amazon Prime Day. |
| May 2027 | Labor Day holiday May 1-5*. Ports keep working, but factories and trucking slow for the week. | Ship Prime Day stock by sea before the end of May for July arrival in the US. |
| Jun 2027 | Dragon Boat Festival Jun 9*. The 618 shopping festival (Jun 18) tightens domestic express. | Start booking peak-season space. Lock in Q3 sea rates where you can. |
| Jul 2027 | Peak season starts. Typhoon season (Jul-Sep) can close South China ports for a day or more. Amazon Prime Day usually falls in July. | Build a buffer of a few days into every South China sailing. Ship Q4 stock early. |
| Aug 2027 | Peak rates and tight space on US and EU lanes. | Book holiday-season stock now. Sea cargo for Black Friday should be moving by late August to mid-September. |
| Sep 2027 | Mid-Autumn Festival Sep 15*. Pre-Golden Week rush in the last two weeks of September. | Get cargo out of factories before Sep 25 to avoid the Golden Week freeze. |
| Oct 2027 | National Day Golden Week Oct 1-7*. Most factories close; ports run with reduced trucking. Canton Fair autumn session from mid-October*. | Do not plan pickups for the first week of October. Visit the fair if you are sourcing for next year. |
| Nov 2027 | Singles' Day Nov 11. Black Friday Nov 26. 2028 Chinese New Year falls on Jan 26, so pre-holiday cut-offs come early. | Order everything you need before the 2028 New Year by early November. |
* Expected dates. China's State Council usually publishes the official 2027 holiday schedule in November 2026, including make-up working days. We update this page when it is released.
Chinese New Year 2027: the key dates
- Mid-November 2026: last orders for goods needed before March
- Mid-December 2026: samples and pre-production approval finished
- Around January 10, 2027: last sailing for end-February arrival in the US
- Around January 24, 2027: last sailing for mid-March arrival
- February 5 to 12, 2027: official holiday (expected)
- Early March 2027: factories back near full output
How long things take
| Step | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Sea, China to US West Coast | 25-35 days door to door |
| Sea, China to US East Coast | 35-45 days door to door |
| Sea, China to UK and North Europe | 35-45 days door to door |
| Air freight, China to US, UK or EU | 8-15 days door to door |
| Typical factory production | 25-45 days after deposit and sample approval |
Work backwards from the date you need stock on the shelf: transit time, plus a week for booking and customs, plus production time, plus any holiday in between.
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Questions about the China holiday calendar
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027. The official public holiday is expected to run February 5 to 12, but most factories stop for two to four weeks and reach full output again around early March.
When should I order before Chinese New Year 2027?
For a typical six-week production time, place orders by mid-November 2026. Cargo should leave China by around January 10 to arrive in the US by the end of February, or by around January 24 to arrive by mid-March.
Are China's 2027 holiday dates official?
Not yet. China's State Council usually publishes the next year's schedule in November. Dates marked with an asterisk follow the usual pattern and may shift by a day or two, including make-up working days.
Does the Golden Week holiday affect shipping?
Yes. During National Day Golden Week (October 1 to 7) most factories close and trucking slows, so goods should leave factories by around September 25.