Will your stock cover the Chinese New Year shutdown and the time it takes for your next order to arrive? If you import from China, now is a good time to check.
Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027, 11 days earlier than in 2026. The earlier date leaves a shorter window to complete production and move cargo before suppliers begin their seasonal shutdowns.
For businesses planning first-quarter orders, confirming a few details now can help avoid gaps in supply later.
Look beyond the holiday date
Factory shutdowns do not all follow the same schedule. Some suppliers may stop production or dispatching goods before the holiday, so confirm the dates that apply to your orders.
A factory’s reopening date may also differ from the date it can resume normal production and dispatch. Ask when your supplier expects to have your goods ready for collection, rather than relying on its reopening date alone.
Your stock planning should allow for production, collection, shipping and delivery after operations resume.
Confirm these details with your suppliers
Before arranging your shipments, check:
- Production deadlines: When must you confirm an order for it to be completed before the shutdown?
- Cargo readiness: When will the finished goods be ready for collection?
- Closure and restart dates: When will production and dispatch stop, and when are they expected to return to normal?
- Shipping documents: Will the required documents be available before the relevant staff go on leave?
- Stock coverage: Will your order cover the closure period and the lead time for your next delivery?
These details help you identify which orders need to move before the holiday and which can wait until afterwards.
Share your plans before everything is final
As manufacturers work to dispatch outstanding orders before Chinese New Year, demand for shipping space and equipment can increase. Production dates may also shift as factories work through their order books.
You don’t need to wait until every detail is confirmed. Share your expected shipment volumes, collection location and estimated cargo readiness date with your Ziegler representative, and keep us updated as your supplier confirms arrangements.
This gives our team a starting point to review shipping options and allows more time to work through alternatives if your plans change.
Plan ahead with Ziegler
Having your shipment details early gives our team more time to:
- Secure space and equipment where possible
- Confirm the relevant cut-off dates
- Plan around factory and supplier closures
- Coordinate collections and transport
Get in touch with our team so we can start planning your upcoming shipments and find the best available option for your cargo.