The festive Chinese New Year period is one of the longest holidays in China. It also means that factories halt production. If you want to import around Chinese New Year, you need to prepare for the seasonal challenges. Chinese New Year 2023 and imports – how to schedule deliveries?
Chinese New Year 2023 and imports
Every year, the Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, CNY) falls on a different day, as its date is based on the lunisolar calendar. In 2023, the Spring Festival falls on January 22. The Year of the Rabbit begins on this date. At this time, spring migration is observed throughout the country, meaning mass inter-city and even inter-regional trips to hometowns. Workers leave their workstations to celebrate the New Year period with families. The temporary staff shortage in Chinese factories leads to suspended production, which means that deliveries are not timely.
How long is Chinese New Year 2023?
The Chinese New Year in 2023 falls on Sunday, January 22. Officially, days off from work are 21-27 January. In fact, the CNY period is extended up to two months due to mass migration. The last phase of the New Year celebrations is the Festival of Lanterns. In 2023, the Lantern Festival falls on Sunday, February 5.
When to place the last order before the Chinese New Year?
Due to the fact that in 2023 the Spring Festival comes relatively quickly, the orders are processed until about mid-December. We can expect an extended delivery time if we place an order after this period.
Chinese New Year 2023 – when do factories shut down?
Production in factories will be gradually phased out from mid-December. At the turn of the first and second week of January, factories halt production, and employees leave their workplaces. Less than two weeks is usually enough time for them to return home and prepare for the celebration of the Lunar New Year. It involves an annual deep house cleaning, decorating the entrance, and a festive meal.
How long will Chinese factories be closed in 2023?
The official Spring Festival holiday starts on New Year’s Eve. In 2023, this day falls on January 21. The official holiday lasts until January 27, but this does not mean that factories will be working at full capacity the next day. Factories will not reopen until the first week of February, and full production capacity can be expected only in the last week of the month, approximately from February 21.
Bearing in mind that factories are preparing for a temporary suspension already in mid-December, the reduced production capacity in Chinese factories lasts for two months. On an annual basis, this is a very long time – about 1/6 of a year – which affects supply chains and the price.
How can importers prepare for the Chinese New Year?
The impact of Chinese New Year celebrations on imports is inevitable, but there are a few tips for importers ahead of the CNY:
- Make sure you have enough merchandise for the holiday season and the weeks after.
- Place your orders in advance. If you fail to do so, you will have to “wait in line” for several weeks. Submitting inquiries during the holiday season will not bring results, as they are not accepted – office employees do not work.
- Confirm that your Chinese supplier is experienced with the Chinese New Year’s rush. Find out what measures he has in place to help importers during CNY and verify deliveries schedule.
- If you have an urgent order during the holiday season and the Chinese supplier does not respond, consider outsourcing the order to suppliers in Vietnam – there, the Lunar New Year celebrations are shorter.
- Products manufactured shortly before and after the holiday season may be lower quality than usual. It is not only because of working under time pressure but also due to the high rotation of the workers (CNY is the best time to switch jobs). Therefore, we recommend performing more quality control.
- If you want your goods to leave China before the Spring Festival, make sure they arrive at the port at least ten days before the Spring Festival. In addition, it is worth booking container space earlier than usual. The same applies to shipments sent during the weeks following the holiday season. Last-minute bookings are especially expensive over the Chinese New Year period. Problems start already when hiring trucks to transport goods to the port – drivers also take time off.
- Do not put off paying for the order – Chinese banks are closed for the Chinese New Year, so payment execution is delayed. But do not pay the deposit before the Spring Festival – you never know if the company will not go out of business after CNY.
- The Chinese New Year period is the perfect time to strengthen relations with Chinese suppliers. Make sure to send CNY wishes to your partners in Chinese.
The Spring Festival is not the only time of the year when factories shut down! We recommend checking the dates of other Chinese holidays in 2023.