TL;DR: China’s official Chinese New Year 2027 holiday runs from 5 to 13 February 2027, with 31 January and 14 February set as working Sundays. Container rates out of Shanghai were still easing in mid-November, but carriers are cutting sailings and Drewry expects pre-holiday shipments to lift demand. If your equipment must arrive before or soon after the break, freeze the specification and confirm the supplier’s closure dates now, not in January.
For importers, distributors and project buyers sourcing machinery from China. Reviewed 16 November 2026. Chinese New Year 2027 is now on the calendar. On 5 November 2026 the General Office of China’s State Council published the 2027 public-holiday schedule. For overseas buyers it answers one planning question: when will Chinese factories, ports and offices slow down next year? This market brief connects that date with current freight, demand and currency signals. It then turns them into a practical ordering timeline. It is a planning aid, not a carrier schedule or a delivery promise.
What are the official Chinese New Year 2027 holiday dates?
According to the State Council notice of 5 November 2026 (also summarised on the English government portal, 6 November 2026):
- New Year’s Day: 1–3 January 2027 (3 days).
- Spring Festival: 5 February (Lunar New Year’s Eve) to 13 February 2027 (9 days, including adjusted rest days).
- Make-up working days: Sunday 31 January and Sunday 14 February 2027.
These are the official dates. Individual factories, component suppliers, trucking firms and forwarders often set their own closing and restart days around them. Workers may also travel before or return after the official period. Treat the government dates as the minimum disruption window, and ask each supplier for its own schedule.
What are freight rates doing before the 2027 holiday?
Ocean rates from Shanghai were softening in mid-November. Drewry’s World Container Index of 12 November 2026 fell 2% to US$4,305 per 40ft container. Spot rates reported for the main lanes were:
| Route (40ft container) | Drewry spot rate, 12 Nov 2026 | Weekly change |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai → Los Angeles | US$7,416 | −2% |
| Shanghai → New York | US$9,020 | −3% |
| Shanghai → Rotterdam | US$3,504 | −3% |
| Shanghai → Genoa | US$4,168 | unchanged |
The same assessment notes eight blank sailings announced for the following week on both the transpacific and Asia–Europe trades. It also reports higher FAK and peak-season surcharges on Asia–Europe from the second half of November, and Shanghai port congestion rising to 49 hours. Drewry says pre-holiday shipments ahead of the Lunar New Year “may temporarily support demand”, and it lists port labour talks in Los Angeles and Long Beach as a risk. Today’s rate is useful context, but it is not a quote for a January sailing. Ask your forwarder for validity dates and surcharge terms in writing.
Why does equipment demand matter for your production slot?
Chinese machinery makers are busy with export orders. The China Construction Machinery Association’s October flash report (7 November 2026) recorded 10,724 excavator exports in October, up 11.4% year on year. Exports for January–October reached 120,468 units, up 28.4%. Strong demand does not tell you any single factory’s lead time. It is a good reason to ask for a dated production slot rather than assume capacity will be free in January.
Currency is a smaller but real variable. The People’s Bank of China central parity was 6.7195 yuan per US dollar on 16 November 2026. If a supplier quotes in RMB or reserves the right to requote, agree the quotation currency, validity and any adjustment rule before deposit.
How should you plan an order from China before Chinese New Year 2027?
Work backwards from the date the equipment must be usable on site, not from the holiday. Fill in the durations each party confirms for your order. Do not rely on a generic lead time.
| Planning gate | What to confirm | Who confirms |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Specification freeze | Model, configuration, attachments, voltage or engine variant, documents and labels | Buyer, with supplier sign-off |
| 2. Commercial terms | Price validity, Incoterm, payment milestones, quotation currency | Buyer and supplier |
| 3. Production slot | Start date, completion date, the factory’s holiday closing and restart days | Manufacturer, in writing |
| 4. Pre-shipment inspection | Inspection date, checklist, who attends, how defects are resolved | Buyer or appointed inspector |
| 5. Booking and export clearance | Cargo-ready date, booking cut-off, packing, export documents | Forwarder and supplier |
| 6. Arrival and handover | Transit estimate, import clearance, local delivery and commissioning | Forwarder, customs broker, local team |
If gate 4 or gate 5 lands in the days around 5–13 February, plan for the order to ship after the holiday. Alternatively, move the specification freeze forward now. A machine that finishes production a few days before the break can still wait weeks if inspection, packing or trucking staff are already away.
What should you ask Chinese suppliers this month?
- Exact closure dates: “On which dates will your factory, office and logistics team stop and restart around the 2027 Spring Festival?”
- Dated production plan: a written start and completion date for your order number, not a range of “about 30 days”.
- Component risk: which purchased parts (engines, hydraulics, controls, tyres) have their own lead times, and whether they are already in stock.
- Inspection window: a proposed inspection date before staff leave, plus what happens if defects are found close to the holiday.
- Price and freight validity: how long the quote holds, and who carries freight or surcharge changes between booking and sailing.
- After-holiday plan: if shipment slips, the first restart date and the order’s place in the queue.
For machinery, also confirm the configuration-specific documents you need on arrival, such as manuals, parts lists and conformity information. Our pre-shipment inspection checklist and quotation comparison guide cover these points in more detail.
SUNTC view: decide now, ship with fewer surprises
The 2027 holiday dates are fixed. Freight and factory capacity are not. Buyers who freeze the specification in November, secure a dated slot and book inspection before the break keep more options open. Shipping before the holiday, or holding production until it ends, are both workable choices if made early. A rushed January order leaves fewer choices.
Shanghai Suntc Group Co., Ltd. is an international trade and export company in Shanghai Free Trade Zone. We can discuss wheeled excavators, material handlers, agricultural machinery and hydropower equipment, along with supplier documentation and export coordination. See how we work. Share your equipment, destination and the date you need it below, and we will help identify what must be decided before the holiday. Manufacturer, configuration, lead time and contracting responsibilities are confirmed in each specific quotation.
Buyer questions
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Lunar New Year’s Day falls on 6 February 2027. China’s official Spring Festival holiday runs from 5 to 13 February 2027, with 31 January and 14 February as working days.
Do Chinese factories close only for the official holiday?
Not necessarily. Closing and restart dates vary by company, region and supply chain. Ask each supplier for its own dates in writing and plan for slower activity before and after the official period.
Will freight rates rise before Chinese New Year 2027?
Nobody can promise that. In its 12 November 2026 assessment Drewry reported falling rates but said pre-holiday shipments may temporarily support demand, and carriers were adding blank sailings. Get dated quotes from your forwarder.
Is it too late to order equipment from China before the 2027 holiday?
That depends on the equipment, configuration and the supplier’s confirmed production slot. Freeze the specification and request a dated production and inspection plan now to see whether pre-holiday shipment is realistic.