The Chinese New Year is the most important Chinese holiday. When you decide to import from China, you should take into account Chinese public holidays. Chinese New Year 2017 falls on January 28, 2017. What does it have to do with manufacturing in China?
Non-working days are from January 27, 2017 (Friday) to February 2, 2017 (Thursday). If you import from China and want to visit your Chinese business partners, you should do so after February 15, when companies and their workflow are back to normal.
Below you will find a mini-calendar that outlines difficulties connected with the Chinese New Year’s celebrations in 2017.
Chinese New Year 2017
| Date | Events | Transport | Business |
| January 12-29 | Preparing for the Chinese New Year | Difficulties in transport on both the national and local level | Manufacturing ceases, many workers go home |
| January 27 | The Chinese New Year’s celebration | Significant difficulties in local transports
| Stores, companies and offices are closed |
| January 28 to February 1 | The Chinese New Year | No difficulties | Stores, companies and offices are closed |
| February 2 | Last non-working day, some employees return to work | Difficulties in transport on both the national and local level
| Offices, banks and SME companies open again |
| February 3-11 | The Lantern Festival | Difficulties in transport on both the national and local level | Stores, companies, and offices are open. |
As you can see above, if you prefer to avoid the chaos stemming from the celebrations of Chinese New Year 2017 and non-working days, we advise you against going to China from mid-January to mid-February.
In particular, if you plan to visit factories or your potential business partners, you should do so before the Chinese New Year or in the second half of February.
If you import from China and placed an order in a Chinese factory, you have to remember that the demand for containers on the route from China is very high, so you should be prepared for high sea freight rates. This is why it is better to ship goods well in advance or simply after the Chinese New Year.