Chinese New Year 2027 is on 6 February
The festival falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. That date is fixed. It is not yet known how many days the official holiday in mainland China will last and which weekend days will become workdays. China's State Council sets that in a separate notice for each year.
As of 3 October 2026 the 2027 notice has not been published. The last four were published in different months:
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| Holiday year | Notice published |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 8 December 2022 |
| 2024 | 25 October 2023 |
| 2025 | 12 November 2024 |
| 2026 | 4 November 2025 |
So expect it between October and December 2026. When it appears, we will update this page with the exact days.
If you are waiting for a supplier to reply in early October, bear in mind that China is on holiday for Golden Week. The official 2026 National Day holiday runs from 1 to 7 October, and Saturday 10 October is a working day.
Why 6 February is not your deadline
The festival date does not tell you when to order. Your deadline is the day the goods must be in your warehouse in Skopje, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Tirana or Pristina, ready to sell. You count back from that day.
Here is what 2026 showed, from the official notices:
- The official holiday ran from 15 to 23 February, with Saturday 14 and Saturday 28 February as workdays.
- The Yiwu market does not close and reopen on the government dates. The market operator closed districts 1 to 5 of Yiwu International Trade City on the afternoon of 13 February and reopened them on 28 February at 8:30. The imported goods mall in District 5 reopened earlier, on 19 February. That was the 2026 schedule, not the one for 2027. The operator published the 2026 schedule on 3 February 2026, about ten days before the closure.
- Factories set their own dates. Neither the government notice nor the market notice tells you when your supplier stops and restarts work.
- Ningbo-Zhoushan Port did not stop. The port itself reported working through 16 to 23 February 2026.
- Shipping lines cancelled specific sailings. On Asia to Europe services, Maersk cancelled five departures between 16 and 27 February 2026, two of them from Ningbo. MSC also cancelled sailings and told customers they could keep booking as usual.
So the weak point is the factory. The order most likely to slip is one that is still halfway through production when the factory stops for the holiday.
The back-planning table
Read it from the bottom up. Each row is a separate step you need confirmed.
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| Step | What happens | Who confirms the date |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sample approved | The supplier sends a sample; you approve it or ask for changes | You and the supplier |
| 2. Production | From approved sample and deposit to finished goods | The supplier, in writing |
| 3. Goods ready | Goods packed and ready for collection | The supplier |
| 4. Warehouse receiving and check | Shared (LCL) cargo and goods from several suppliers come into our warehouse in Yiwu or Ningbo for consolidation and a check, with a photo and video report | Our team in China |
| 5. Departure | Shared (LCL) cargo leaves from Ningbo; a full container leaves from the Chinese port nearest the supplier | Us, according to the sailing schedule |
| 6. Transit to your country | 60 to 75 days via Suez or 70 to 90 days around Africa, once the goods are ready | Us, per shipment |
| 7. Clearance | Your forwarder handles clearance, duty and VAT | Your forwarder |
For the transport leg, once the goods are ready in China, allow 60 to 75 days via Suez or 70 to 90 days around Africa. Transit times are approximate. We confirm the exact time and route for each shipment, based on the current situation on the sea lanes. Production comes before this period. Routes are covered in more detail in China to Balkans transit times.
Example 1: you need the goods in your warehouse by mid-May 2027
Typical spring and summer stock: garden, beach, household goods, kit for a hotel or restaurant season on the Adriatic. For the coast there is a separate guide, the summer 2027 coast order calendar.
Assumptions for this example: sample and approval about 3 weeks, production about 6 to 8 weeks, one supplier. Your supplier may need longer. Your forwarder's clearance comes on top of the transit time, so ask them how long they need.
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| Month | What must be done |
|---|---|
| Mid-May 2027 | Goods in your warehouse |
| Early March 2027 | Latest ready-goods point if the ship goes via Suez (75 days) |
| Mid-February 2027 | Latest ready-goods point if the ship goes around Africa (90 days), right in the holiday |
| End of January 2027 | Goods ready, received and checked in the warehouse, before factories stop |
| December 2026 to January 2027 | Production |
| End of November 2026 | Sample approved, order confirmed, deposit paid |
| October to November 2026 | Supplier choice, quotes, samples |
The Africa calculation puts ready goods in mid-February, in the middle of the holiday. That is why the target is goods ready before the holiday. If the supplier cannot finish by the end of January, the goods are ready only in March. Then only a Suez routing and a sailing with no delay get them to you by mid-May, with no buffer at all. We would not build a plan on that.
Example 2: you need the goods in early April 2027
Stock for spring sales.
Assumptions: as above.
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| Month | What must be done |
|---|---|
| Early April 2027 | Goods in your warehouse |
| Second half of January 2027 | Latest ready-goods point if the ship goes via Suez (75 days) |
| Early January 2027 | Latest ready-goods point if the ship goes around Africa (90 days) |
| December 2026 | Goods ready, received and checked in the warehouse |
| October to December 2026 | Production |
| October 2026 | Sample approved and order confirmed |
Here the holiday matters less than the time already passing. If you do not have a sample in October, early April by sea is very tight. Send us the date before you confirm the order.
What we do in this period
Our strongest operational presence is in Yiwu, with Ningbo a focus for containers. We have our own warehouses in Yiwu and Ningbo. In our warehouse in China we collect goods from several suppliers and check them, and we document every goods check with photos and video. Before the holiday that matters: goods from several suppliers can be consolidated in our warehouse and leave together. Ask us which receiving dates apply before the holiday.
Four employed agents work in China, in English and Chinese.
We deliver to the customs warehouse and prepare export documents and documents needed for clearance. Your own or a recommended forwarder handles clearance, duty and VAT. Many clients already have their own forwarder. The forwarder in your country confirms the duty for your goods. More on the customs documents and delivery page.
Checklist for October and November
- What date must the goods be in your warehouse?
- Do you have a supplier, or are you still looking?
- Is the sample approved?
- How many production days has the supplier given you in writing?
- Until what date does the factory work before the holiday, and when does it restart?
- One factory or several? With several, the goods need to be collected in a warehouse.
- Shared container or a full one? For smaller volumes see LCL consolidation, for larger ones container shipping from China.
If you are going to Yiwu in person, avoid buying trips around Chinese New Year and from 1 to 8 October for China's National Day holiday (Golden Week). Plan production and shipping around both holidays. For a spring visit, see the Yiwu buying trip.
Send us your date
We do not need a long brief. Send us the product, the quantity, whether you already have a supplier, when the goods will be ready, where they need to go and the date they must be in your warehouse. With that we can go through the date with you and work out what has to be closed by the end of November. Write to us through the contact form.
