Chinese New Year 2026: The Complete Guide for Importers
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival, 春节) is the biggest disruption in global supply chains. While the official holiday is 9 days, the real impact lasts 6–8 weeks. If you source anything from China, this is the one event you must plan around.
2026 Chinese New Year Dates
| Detail | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Official Holiday | February 15, 2026 – February 23, 2026 (9 days) |
| Practical Disruption | ~3–4 weeks before – 3–5 weeks after (6–8 weeks total) |
| Working Days in January | 21 days |
| Working Days in February | 16 days |
Makeup Workdays (调休)
China shifts weekend days to create the extended holiday. These weekend days become regular workdays:
- February 14, 2026 (Sat) — normal workday, factories OPEN
- February 28, 2026 (Sat) — normal workday, factories OPEN
Your supplier works on these days. If you need to squeeze in production before or after CNY, these are your bonus days.
CNY Shutdown Timeline
The disruption isn't just the official holiday. Here's the full 6–8 week cycle:
| Phase | When | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Early Warning | 6–8 weeks before | Factories still at full capacity, but savvy importers are placing final orders. Container prices start creeping up. Book freight now. |
| Pre-Holiday Crunch | 3–4 weeks before | Factories run overtime to finish orders. Quality often drops — rushed QC, corner-cutting. If you're doing pre-shipment inspection, be extra thorough. |
| Worker Migration Begins | 2–3 weeks before | Workers start leaving for home to beat the travel rush. Absenteeism rises sharply in the final week — some factories report output dropping by half. Production capacity falls well below normal. |
| Full Shutdown | Feb 15 – Feb 23 | Official 9-day holiday. Everything stops. No production, shipping, customs, or government services. |
| Slow Restart | 1–2 weeks after | Factories nominally reopen but run at 30–50% capacity. Many workers don't return — some switch factories, some stay home longer. Hiring and training new workers takes time. |
| Back to Normal | 3–5 weeks after | Most factories reach 85–95% capacity. Full normalization can take up to 6 weeks post-holiday as new hires are trained. This is the new production year. |
For exact dates with your product's lead time, use our Factory Shutdown Timeline tool.
Why CNY Is Different From Every Other Holiday
Worker Migration
China has over 300 million migrant workers (NBS, 2025). During Spring Festival, the country records over 9 billion passenger trips in 40 days (Ministry of Transport). Many workers cross provinces, making it physically impossible to return quickly.
Worker Turnover
CNY is "switching season." Up to 25% of factory workers don't return to their previous employer — higher in garment and labor-intensive sectors (Titoma, trans.info). Factories must recruit and train replacements, which delays the ramp-up.
Supply Chain Cascade
It's not just your factory. Their raw material suppliers, component makers, packaging plants, and logistics partners all shut down too. The whole chain freezes.
Government Shutdown
Customs, banks, inspection agencies — all closed. No clearance, no payments, no certificates. This creates a backlog that takes weeks to clear.
CNY Planning Checklist for Importers
- 12 weeks before: Place all critical orders. Confirm raw material availability with supplier.
- 8 weeks before: Final orders for standard products. Book container space.
- 6 weeks before: Arrange pre-shipment inspections. Confirm production completion dates.
- 4 weeks before: All production should be complete or near-complete. Chase stragglers.
- 2 weeks before: Confirm shipping dates. Get all documents (invoices, packing lists, B/L).
- During CNY: Don't send emails expecting responses. Plan your post-CNY orders instead.
- 1 week after: Send a "welcome back" message. Confirm restart timeline. Don't push — they're overwhelmed.
- 3 weeks after: Resume normal ordering cadence. Factory should be near full capacity.
Take Action Before the Shutdown
Find Suppliers
Search verified Chinese manufacturers on Alibaba. Place orders now — don't wait until pre-CNY rush.
Search Alibaba.comBook Freight
Container spot rates typically rise 20–30% before CNY (Freightos data). Lock in rates early with a freight forwarder.
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Integrate our free API into your ERP, scheduling tool, or dashboard.
View API DocsWhen is Chinese New Year 2026?
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival, 春节) in 2026 runs February 15, 2026 to February 23, 2026 (9 official days). But the practical supply chain disruption spans 6–8 weeks — roughly 3–4 weeks before (production slowdown and worker departures) through 3–5 weeks after (ramp-up and rehiring). Sources: Maersk, Ship4wd, Seko Logistics.
How long do Chinese factories close for CNY?
Officially 7–9 days, but practically 6–8 weeks of disruption. Workers travel home (often across China) and up to 25% don't return to the same factory (Titoma, trans.info). Most factories hit full capacity only 3–5 weeks after the holiday ends. For planning, assume zero or reduced production for 5–6 weeks minimum.
When should I place my last order before Chinese New Year?
Your last order should be placed at least 6–8 weeks before CNY to guarantee completion. For complex products (custom tooling, multi-step assembly), push that to 10–12 weeks. Use our order deadline calculator for exact dates based on your production time.
Do shipping costs go up before Chinese New Year?
Yes. Container spot rates typically rise 20–30% in the 4–6 weeks before CNY, sometimes more during supply chain disruptions — in early 2026, China-US West Coast rates jumped 30%+ vs mid-December (Freightos/Xeneta data). Air freight spikes even more. Book freight early and consider shipping partial orders if your full run won't finish in time.
What happens to my order if it's not done before CNY?
It waits. Your half-finished order sits on the factory floor until workers return. Up to 25% of workers don't return to their previous employer after CNY (Titoma). If your factory loses key workers, the restart requires recruiting and re-training, which adds weeks of delay. Quality also suffers — audits show 41% of suppliers fail standard inspections in the first two weeks post-CNY, vs 9% normally.
How many working days in January and February 2026?
January 2026 has 21 working days. February has 16 working days (including 2 makeup workdays). These are significantly fewer than other months because of the CNY break.
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Order Deadline Calculator · Factory Shutdown Timeline · Working Days Calculator · Shipping Time Calculator · Best Time to Call China · Find a Sourcing Agent · All 7 Chinese Holidays · Canton Fair Dates · Golden Week Guide · Embed Widget · All Tools · API
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China's State Council announces next year's holiday schedule in November–December. We'll email you within 2 hours of the announcement with updated shutdown dates, order deadlines, and working day counts.
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