Planning production around Chinese New Year 2027 and Golden Week

The dates for 2027

Lunar New Year's Day 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February. That date comes from the Hong Kong Labour Department's list of statutory holidays for 2027 (opens in a new tab), which also shows Hong Kong's own Lunar New Year holidays on 6, 8 and 9 February.

Mainland China's official holiday is longer, and it is set each year by a notice from the General Office of the State Council. For 2026, the notice issued on 4 November 2025 (opens in a new tab) gave a nine-day Spring Festival break from 15 to 23 February, with two Saturdays, 14 and 28 February, worked to make up. The 2027 notice had not been published when we wrote this guide in October 2026, so treat any exact mainland dates for 2027 as provisional until it is.

Golden Week is the National Day holiday. In 2026 it ran from 1 to 7 October, with make-up working days on Sunday 20 September and Saturday 10 October. The 2027 dates will also come from the State Council notice.

How factories slow down and restart

The official break is only part of the story. Hundreds of millions of workers travel home, and MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics notes (opens in a new tab) that factories halt for at least 7 to 10 days, with many closed for two to three weeks.

The restart is gradual. Writing after the 2026 holiday, DHL described (opens in a new tab) a two-week holiday often turning into six to eight weeks of disrupted production, from a slowdown in mid-January to full recovery in mid-March. Workers come back in stages. Some extend their leave, some do not return, and factories may need to recruit and train replacements. Many return only after the Lantern Festival, about two weeks after New Year's Day.

Machines need checking and new staff need training, so early post-holiday production deserves a closer look. Pre-shipment inspections explains how to check it.

How shipping is affected

Shipping lines cut sailings when demand drops. In December 2025, Maersk announced (opens in a new tab) five cancelled Asia to Europe sailings across weeks 8 and 9 of 2026, the week of the holiday and the week after, citing lower forecast demand and fewer workers to handle cargo. Cancelled sailings like these are called blank sailings.

Before the holiday, the pressure runs the other way. DHL notes a pre-holiday surge in ocean freight rates, which often eases afterwards. MIT also points to slower depots, warehouses and port throughput as staff go home. If you plan to ship in the last weeks before the break, book space early.

Golden Week follows a similar pattern on a smaller scale. In August 2026, Maersk announced (opens in a new tab) three blank Far East to Europe sailings in weeks 40 and 41, again citing lower demand and a reduced workforce.

A planning timeline for Chinese New Year 2027

Use these ranges as a starting point and adjust them with your supplier and forwarder. They count back and forward from Lunar New Year's Day on 6 February 2027.

1. 16 to 12 weeks before (mid-October to mid-November 2026): decide what you need landed before April, and place those orders with ship dates in writing.
2. 12 to 7 weeks before (mid-November to late December): check production has started on time. Book your inspection and container space early.
3. 7 to 5 weeks before (late December 2026 to early January 2027): goods finished, inspected and loaded. Allow for UK Christmas closures at your end too.
4. About 4 weeks before (early January 2027): the slowdown typically starts. In 2026 DHL put it in mid-January, about a month before New Year's Day, which for 2027 points to early January. Loading after this gets harder and space gets tighter.
5. The holiday itself (dates to be confirmed by the State Council): factories closed. Use the time to place orders for after the break so they are in the queue.
6. 1 to 3 weeks after (mid to late February): factories reopen and staff return in stages. Do not expect full output yet.
7. 4 to 6 weeks after (early to mid-March 2027): output typically back to normal for most factories, and lead times closer to usual.

Then add the sea journey. DHL gives a range of 14 to over 40 days from China depending on the route, so ask your forwarder for the typical transit time to your UK port, plus time for customs and delivery.

Example only: if you need garden furniture in a UK warehouse by early March 2027, aim to have it loaded by the end of December 2026. That leaves room for the sea journey and for a slipped loading date before the factory slows down. Goods that are finished but not loaded before the break may sit at the factory until it reopens.

Planning around Golden Week

• Treat the official holiday week as lost for production and paperwork, plus a few days either side.
• Note the make-up working days. In 2026 these were Sunday 20 September and Saturday 10 October.
• Expect fewer sailings in the holiday week and the week after.
• Avoid ship dates in early October unless the supplier confirms the goods will be ready in late September.

Keeping on top of it

• Ask each supplier, in writing, for their closing and reopening dates and when they expect to be fully staffed.
• Ask about staffing and capacity for orders due in March, and accept part shipments if that keeps stock moving.
• Keep a record of what each supplier promised against what they delivered, so next year's plan is better.
• Watch for your forwarder's notices about blank sailings, and ask what alternatives they offer.

Portside chases factories and forwarders for dates as the holiday approaches and checks each container's arrival date daily, so a slipped loading shows up early. It also scores suppliers on their record over time, which helps when you plan the next season.

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