Best Time to Import from China: Plan Backward from Your Sell Date
By Hasan Olwan, in Yiwu since 2009 · Last updated: November 4, 2026
The short answer: the best time to import from China is whenever your goods can be ready to sell before you need them, while avoiding a clash with Chinese New Year or Golden Week. There’s no single best month. Start from your sell date, work backward through shipping, inspection and production, and that gives you your order date.
One importer delays an order, waiting for freight to fall. Another orders early and pays to store stock they can’t sell yet. Neither is really choosing a date. They’re guessing.
This guide shows the pressure points in the year, what to do about Chinese New Year 2027, and how to build a schedule you can use. You should confirm any date or cost with a current written quote from your supplier and carrier before you commit money.
Three dates you need to separate
Most timing mistakes come from treating these as one date:
- Order date: when the supplier confirms your order and production can start.
- Ready date: when your goods are finished, checked and packed.
- Ship date: when they actually leave. Ask for the expected departure, because it can be well after the goods are ready.
Then separate three kinds of peak, because they don’t always line up:
- Production peak: factories are full.
- Shipping peak: space and logistics services are in high demand.
- Your selling season: when you need stock in your market.
Maersk notes that some industries also have their own peak seasons on top of the general calendar, so check yours.
The importer's calendar
Use this as a map of what to check. It isn’t a price forecast, and rates won’t move the same way on every route.
| Period | What to watch | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| January to mid-March | Chinese New Year slowdown before and after the holiday | Get each supplier’s closing and restart dates in writing |
| Mid-March to June | Factories catching up, plus the Labor Day and Dragon Boat holidays | Compare current quotes, and don’t assume this period is cheap |
| July and August | Summer and back-to-school demand in Europe and North America | Check capacity on your route early |
| September and early October | Rush before Golden Week, then the holiday itself | Finish production and inspection before the closure |
| Mid-October and November | Backlog after Golden Week, plus Black Friday and Cyber Monday demand | Confirm space and how long your price is valid |
| December | Year-end holiday demand and pressure on deliveries | Allow extra time for final delivery |
If you sell in Australia, remember your seasons run opposite to the Northern Hemisphere. The China holidays stay the same, but your selling peak may fall at a different point against this calendar.
Chinese New Year 2027: what to do now
Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027. As of today, November 4, 2026, this is the planning window that matters most.
The holiday is short, but the disruption isn’t. SEKO Logistics describes a window of six to eight weeks, from early January through mid-March 2027. Its guidance:
- Finalize production orders 8 to 10 weeks before the holiday, which means late November to early December 2026.
- Book ocean freight 3 to 4 weeks before your planned departure.
- Build in time for trucking. Inland transport in China nearly stops during the holiday week, so goods can struggle to reach the port even when ships are sailing.
Maersk’s guide for the 2026 holiday describes the same pattern: factories cut output two to three weeks before and may not reach full capacity until mid-March. It also lists electronics, textiles and apparel, toys, and automotive parts among the industries most affected.
Official holiday dates: China’s State Council sets the official days off each year, and I hadn’t seen its 2027 notice when I wrote this. For reference, its 2026 notice, dated November 4, 2025, gave nine days for Spring Festival (February 15 to 23), five for Labor Day (May 1 to 5) and seven for National Day (October 1 to 7). Don’t use those for 2027.
Official days off also aren’t factory schedules. Ask every supplier for three dates: the last production day for your order, the last day goods can be collected, and the day your order restarts. These can differ between companies working on the same shipment.
Golden Week and the other peaks
Golden Week (October 1 to 7). Maersk describes a rush of outbound shipping before it, followed by backlogs, delays, capacity limits and higher freight rates afterward. Many factories reduce output or close.
Summer and back to school (July and August). Retailers in Europe and North America build stock, which can raise shipping volumes and freight rates, and cause delays on imports.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (late November). These bring a surge in shipping volumes. If you’re selling into them, your goods need to leave China long before the sale.
Year-end holidays (December). Delivery networks are under pressure.
How seasons affect price and time
Don’t blame every price rise on “the season.” Maersk says peak demand can bring capacity limits, delays, higher freight rates and peak season surcharges. That’s about logistics. It doesn’t prove every factory raises its prices, and there’s no fixed percentage.
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Product price | Is the quote for the same material, spec, quantity and packaging? |
| Freight | Is the rate valid for your ready date and route? |
| Extra charges | Are there seasonal, handling or storage charges outside the quote? |
| Final cost | Would waiting force you into faster freight, or a local purchase to cover the gap? |
| Timing | Does the estimate include preparation, consolidation and delivery, or just the voyage? |
Compare the full cost to your warehouse, not the factory price or the freight alone. Include the cost of holding stock too. Early ordering isn’t free if your cash sits in goods you can’t sell yet. Our FOB vs CIF vs DDP guide shows which costs each quote includes.
How to plan backward
Start with the date you need stock ready to sell, and work back through each stage. Get each number from whoever is responsible for it.
| Stage | What to get in writing | Who confirms it |
|---|---|---|
| Sample and spec approval | What’s needed and by when | Supplier and you |
| Production | Start point and ready date | Supplier |
| Inspection and fixes | Inspection date, and how problems get fixed | Supplier and inspector |
| Transport in China and consolidation | Last collection date, and when all items are in | Warehouse or coordinator |
| International shipping | Cut-off, departure and estimated transit | Carrier or forwarder |
| Customs and delivery | Documents and timing | Broker or delivery provider |
| Your buffer | Why it’s there, and which stage it covers | You |
For shipping time, our estimates for door-to-door delivery are about 30 to 65 days by sea to the US, about 45 to 65 days by sea to Canada, the UK, Australia, Mexico and Brazil, and about 4 to 10 days by air. These are estimates, and holidays, ports and inspections can add time.
Here’s how the math works. Say you need stock ready on November 1 and you’re shipping to the UK by sea. Using the top of that estimate, 65 days back puts the goods ready to leave by about August 28. Then count back again for inspection, any fixes, production and sample approval, using your supplier’s real dates. If that lands you inside a holiday, you need to start earlier.
Three more things to get right:
- Leave room to fix problems. Put a quality inspection in the plan from the start, and don’t book as if it will pass with no issues. Agree in advance what happens if the goods need rework.
- Don’t add every stage blindly. Some work can run at the same time, like checking documents during production. Agree on that first, and don’t just assume it.
- Give your buffer a reason. New supplier, custom product, a holiday nearby, or several suppliers all justify more time. When one stage slips, recalculate the whole plan.
Not sure between a full and a shared container? That choice affects your timing too, so read FCL vs LCL before you book space.
Adjust for your product
| Your situation | What to add to your plan |
|---|---|
| Ready-made goods | Confirm the quantity is really reserved for you, plus the models, packaging and release date |
| Custom product | Sample, printing and packaging approval before the production date is fixed |
| Several suppliers | A separate date for each, and a plan if one is late. See consolidating shipments |
| Short selling season | The last date it still makes sense to sell, not just the arrival date |
| Regular repeat item | Current stock and sales, before you increase the quantity |
| New order or new supplier | Check specs and documents before you promise your own customer a date |
If the schedule doesn’t work, change the plan early. Reduce the customization, move the launch date, or look at another shipping option with your carrier. Don’t turn the date you wish for into a promise you can’t keep.
What to ask before you confirm
Ask the supplier:
- Is the quantity ready and reserved for me, or will you make it after payment?
- When does my order actually start, and what starts the clock?
- What are your closing and reopening dates?
- When can it be inspected, and what’s the plan if there are problems?
- When will final carton sizes and weights be available?
Ask the carrier or forwarder:
- What’s the last date for goods and documents?
- Is the booking confirmed, and on what terms?
- What’s the estimated time to my delivery point?
- How long is the price valid, and what isn’t included?
- What happens if a supplier is late or the departure changes?
Keep the answers in one schedule and update it with every change. If you’re not in China to chase these answers, this is one of the main jobs a sourcing agent does for you.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for a price drop nobody has confirmed
- Counting only the time on the water
- Assuming the end of a holiday means your supplier is ready
- Skipping inspection to catch a ship
- Treating a booking as a guaranteed arrival date
Booking early helps with space, but it doesn’t guarantee the lowest rate or a fixed arrival. You don’t have to avoid peak seasons completely, and sometimes you can’t. The goal is fewer surprises.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best month to import from China?
There isn’t one for every product and destination. Choose a date that gets your stock ready before you need it, after confirming production, inspection and shipping.
When should I order before Chinese New Year 2027?
SEKO advises finalizing production orders 8 to 10 weeks before February 6, 2027, so late November to early December 2026. Custom products need much longer. Confirm dates with your supplier.
Is shipping right after Chinese New Year cheaper and faster?
Not necessarily. Disruption can run until mid-March. Get a current quote and confirm your supplier is really ready.
Do all factories and ports close during Chinese holidays?
No, and you shouldn’t assume they all run either. Government notices set official days off. Get each factory, warehouse and carrier’s schedule directly.
Does booking early guarantee the lowest freight rate?
No. It helps you secure space, but it’s no guarantee of the lowest rate or a fixed arrival date. Compare like-for-like quotes and check how long they’re valid.
Summary
- Start from your sell date, not from a “cheap month.”
- Keep the order, ready and ship dates separate.
- For Chinese New Year 2027, aim to finalize production orders by late November to early December 2026.
- Get every date in writing from the party responsible for it.
- Leave real room for inspection, fixes and delays.
Planning an order for next year? Send us your product, quantity, destination and the date you need stock. We’ll help you check whether that timing works.