Shipping from China before Chinese New Year: how to avoid the factory and warehouse backlog
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February, but the disruption to supply chains starts weeks earlier and takes weeks to clear afterwards. Here is the real window to plan around, and what to do if a sea or rail slot is already gone.
The holiday is one date; the disruption is six to ten weeks
Chinese New Year 2027 — the Year of the Fire Goat — falls on Saturday, 6 February 2027; the official days off in China are expected on 5–12 February (the State Council usually publishes the exact schedule in November), and the festive season traditionally runs until the Lantern Festival on 20 February. For an importer, the practical disruption window is wider than the calendar holiday: factories and warehouses across China slow down one to two weeks before the date and take a further two to four weeks afterwards to return to normal running speed.
Put together, that stretches the period to watch from roughly mid-January to mid-March 2027. The main takeaway: confirm volumes and book slots with your Chinese supplier three to four weeks before mid-January, not in the days right before the holiday, when the available capacity has already been taken.
Why everything slows down: worker migration and the pre-holiday rush
The underlying cause is not the date itself but worker migration: over 300 million migrant workers across China travel home for the holiday and return to their factories gradually rather than all at once. Factories then need to hire and train replacement staff for workers who do not come back on schedule, which is what delays the return to full production capacity by weeks rather than days.
Before the shutdown, factories and exporters rush to clear their order backlog, so demand for containers and rail wagons spikes through December and January — and rates rise with it on both modes. Our own published transit figures for China are rail 16–35 days and sea 23–55 days (see the [rail or sea from China comparison](/sravnenie/zhd-ili-more-iz-kitaya)); both ranges should be budgeted with extra buffer through the high season around the holiday, since actual transit tends to sit at the longer end when demand is this high.
Sanctions screening comes first
We only handle goods that are not subject to EU, UK, Swiss or US sanctions. Before we quote, we check the HS code of every item and screen all parties to the deal; if a product or a party is restricted, we decline the order, whatever the route or the price.
What an importer should do before the window closes
Confirm with your Chinese supplier the exact shutdown date of their specific factory — schedules vary by one to two weeks between factories even in the same city, and that difference often decides whether a lot makes the last outbound shipment before the holiday or misses it. Book and confirm volumes three to four weeks before mid-January rather than waiting until shortly before the holiday itself.
For a small, time-critical lot where a sea or rail slot has already been missed, air freight remains available even during the pre-holiday rush: 2–8 days, rate by chargeable (volumetric) weight, with no weight limit. It will not replace a full container on cost, but it keeps an urgent order moving when the alternative is waiting out the whole disruption window.
Terms and how to book
We work only with companies and sole traders, with a minimum service fee of €200, across rail, sea, road and air from China. Leave a request on the site, call +7 800 101-60-59, or message us on Telegram, and we will confirm the shutdown schedule relevant to your supplier and book the route with the right buffer built in.
Questions and answers
When exactly is Chinese New Year 2027?
6 February 2027, the Year of the Fire Goat; the official days off are expected on 5–12 February, but factories slow down one to two weeks before and take two to four weeks after to return to normal pace.
How much extra time should I add to normal transit around the holiday?
Budget towards the longer end of our usual ranges — rail 16–35 days, sea 23–55 days — since demand for containers and wagons peaks in December and January and can push actual transit past the usual average.
Is air freight available during the pre-holiday rush?
Yes — air freight keeps running through the holiday period: 2–8 days, rate by chargeable weight, no weight limit, which makes it the practical option for an urgent lot that has missed its sea or rail slot.
What is the minimum order for a shipment from China?
We work only with companies and sole traders; the minimum service fee is €200, the same as on every other lane, regardless of season.
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