Chinese New Year (CNY)

Chinese New Year (CNY), also called the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the most significant holiday period in China and several other Asian manufacturing countries. For e-commerce sellers, Amazon FBA operators, and anyone sourcing products from Chinese factories, CNY represents the single largest annual disruption to the global supply chain. Factories close for two to four weeks, worker migration delays restart timelines, and shipping capacity tightens across every trade lane originating in East Asia.

Timing and Duration

Chinese New Year falls between late January and mid-February, determined by the lunar calendar. The official public holiday lasts seven days, but the actual manufacturing shutdown extends far beyond that. Most factories begin slowing production one to two weeks before the holiday as workers leave for their home provinces. After the holiday, factories take another one to three weeks to resume full capacity. Some workers choose not to return to the same factory, creating labor shortages that further delay the production ramp-up. The practical impact on production spans four to six weeks, from roughly two weeks before the holiday through two to three weeks after.

For 2026, Chinese New Year falls on February 17. That means production slowdowns begin in early February, and most factories will not return to full output until mid-March. Sellers who place orders in late January expecting delivery before the holiday will likely be disappointed.

Impact on Manufacturing and Lead Times

Factories prioritize completing orders placed well in advance of CNY, then shut down production lines entirely during the holiday period. Orders placed too close to the cutoff get pushed to after the restart. For a product with a standard 30-day production lead time, the order must be placed by mid-December to have finished goods ready for shipment before the shutdown. Orders placed in January will enter the production queue after the factory reopens, meaning finished goods may not be ready until late March or April.

Quality control can suffer in the pre-CNY rush. Factories running overtime to complete orders before the shutdown may cut corners on inspection, packaging, or material sourcing. Sellers should schedule third-party inspections (such as through agencies like QIMA, V-Trust, or Asia Inspection) before goods are packed into containers. Catching defects before shipment prevents costly returns and customer complaints months later.

Impact on Ocean Freight

The weeks before CNY see a surge in export volume as factories rush to ship completed orders. Container availability tightens, vessel space fills up, and freight rates spike. This pre-CNY shipping rush typically begins in late December and peaks in the first two weeks of January. Booking ocean freight during this period requires earlier-than-usual reservations. Waiting until the last minute may result in rolled bookings (where the carrier bumps cargo to a later vessel) or significantly higher spot rates.

After the holiday, there is an initial lull in shipping volume as factories slowly restart. Rates may temporarily soften during this window, creating a potential cost advantage for sellers whose production timelines align with a post-CNY shipment. However, by mid-March to April, export volume rebounds as the backlog of delayed orders hits the ports, and rates normalize or increase.

Planning Around CNY

Experienced importers build CNY into their annual inventory planning calendar. The standard approach involves placing production orders by November for goods that need to arrive at U.S. warehouses before the shutdown. Sellers calculate their expected sales velocity through March and April, then order enough inventory to cover the gap between the last pre-CNY shipment and the first post-CNY shipment. For a product selling 1,000 units per month, covering an eight-week supply chain gap means having at least 2,000 extra units in stock or in transit before the holiday.

Communication with suppliers is critical. Confirming the factory’s specific closure dates (which vary by province and company), locking in production slots early, and agreeing on shipping deadlines in writing prevents misunderstandings. Suppliers manage dozens or hundreds of customers, and those who confirm orders and deposits earliest get production priority.

Sellers who use domestic prep centers like MeisterPrep can pre-position extra inventory at the warehouse before CNY, then drip-feed it into Amazon FBA as needed during the supply gap. This avoids overstocking at Amazon’s fulfillment centers while maintaining the ability to replenish quickly.