A customer orders a Valentine's Day gift from your store on February 1. Your supplier's factory stopped production two weeks earlier, the freight forwarder is booked solid, and nobody at the supplier will answer email until mid-February. That's what Chinese New Year can do to an unprepared dropshipping store, and in 2027 the holiday lands right on top of Valentine's Day.
The good news is that the holiday is predictable. Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6, and China's official holiday runs February 5–13. This guide covers when factories typically slow down, which parts of your business feel it, and a December-to-March plan to keep orders moving.
When is Chinese New Year 2027, and how long do factories close?
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6. The official public holiday is nine days, from February 5 to February 13, but factory disruption usually stretches several weeks before and after those dates.
China's State Council published the 2027 holiday schedule on November 5, 2026. According to the official notice carried by Xinhua, the Spring Festival break runs from Lunar New Year's Eve on Friday, February 5, through Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, January 31, and Sunday, February 14, are working days to make up for it.
| Date (2027) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sunday, January 31 | Official make-up workday in China |
| Friday, February 5 | Lunar New Year's Eve; official holiday begins |
| Saturday, February 6 | Chinese New Year's Day |
| Saturday, February 13 | Official holiday ends |
| Sunday, February 14 | Official make-up workday; return to work |
| Saturday, February 20 | Lantern Festival, the traditional end of the celebrations |
The official dates are only part of the story. Many factory workers travel home to other provinces, so production winds down before the holiday starts and picks up slowly after it ends. Freight forwarder Ship4wd describes a practical disruption window of roughly six to eight weeks: the crunch starts about three weeks before the holiday and lingers about three weeks after. Payments provider WorldFirst similarly notes that factory shutdowns commonly last two to four weeks, with production slowing in the weeks leading up to the holiday.
Applied to the 2027 calendar, that means a slowdown starting around mid-January and a return to normal output somewhere between late February and mid-March. Every factory is different, so treat these as planning ranges and confirm the exact closing and reopening dates with each supplier.
What does Chinese New Year delay for dropshippers?
Chinese New Year delays three parts of a dropshipping business: production at the factory, first-leg freight out of China, and customer service on both the supplier's side and yours. Because all three slow down together, a small delay in one usually compounds in the others.
Production
Factories try to finish open orders before workers leave, so capacity tightens in the weeks before the holiday. Late orders may be pushed until after the break, and rushed pre-holiday production can raise the risk of quality problems. After the holiday, some workers don't return to their previous jobs, so factories can reopen with smaller crews and a backlog of delayed orders to work through first.
For dropshippers, the result is stockouts on China-made products, longer processing times, and orders that sit in "processing" for weeks.
First-leg freight
First-leg freight is the trip from the Chinese factory or warehouse to the United States, whether that's a direct parcel to your customer or a bulk shipment to a U.S. warehouse. Before the holiday, everyone tries to ship at once, so freight space fills up and rates often rise. During the holiday, many forwarders, trucking companies, and warehouse teams work with reduced staff. After it, the backlog takes time to clear.
Customs adds another layer. Low-value parcels from China no longer enter the U.S. duty-free, so each shipment needs its own customs entry. Our guide to dropshipping from China in 2026, including tariffs and U.S. options explains what changed and how it affects landed costs.
Customer service
Supplier support often goes quiet during the holiday. Questions about missing tracking, damaged items, or replacements may not get answered until staff return. Meanwhile, your own inbox fills with "where's my order?" messages, and frustrated buyers are more likely to request refunds or open disputes.
Knowing exactly what happens to an order after checkout makes these conversations easier. Our walkthrough of what happens after a customer places a dropshipping order breaks down each step, so you can tell customers where things stand.
What's the dropshipping timeline for Chinese New Year 2027?
Plan in three phases: order in December, set a cutoff around mid-January, and plan for a gradual recovery after the holiday. The table below maps each phase to the 2027 calendar.
| When | What's happening in China | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| December 2026 | Factories are busy with pre-holiday orders | Ask each supplier for its holiday schedule, place stock orders for China-sourced best-sellers, and line up U.S.-stocked alternatives |
| Early to mid-January 2027 | Production starts to slow; freight demand peaks | Treat mid-January as your last order date for China-direct products that need to ship before the break; add a shipping notice to your store |
| January 31 | Official make-up workday | Don't count on it for extra production |
| February 5-13 | Official holiday | Promote U.S.-stocked products, pause or extend estimates on China-direct listings, and stay on top of order questions |
| February 14-20 | Return to work; Lantern Festival on February 20 | Expect a slow restart and a queue of pending orders |
| Late February to mid-March | Factories ramp back to full output | Restock gradually and keep extended estimates until suppliers confirm normal processing |
December: place orders and confirm schedules
December is your main window for China-sourced products. Ask every supplier three questions: when they stop accepting orders, when they stop shipping, and when they expect to be back to normal. Get the answers in writing.
If you hold any inventory yourself or use a U.S. warehouse, place restock orders for your proven sellers now. If you bring stock in by ocean freight, you'll need to order even earlier than December. Focus on products with steady demand rather than new tests, because a product you can't restock until March isn't a good test in January.
Mid-January: set your cutoff
Around mid-January, stop counting on China-direct orders arriving on their normal schedule. From that point, switch those listings to extended delivery estimates or pause them, and move your promotions toward products that ship from U.S. warehouses. The exact date depends on your supplier's own cutoff, so use whichever comes first.
This matters even more in 2027 because Valentine's Day falls on Sunday, February 14, the first day back at work in China. Any Valentine's products you plan to sell should come from stock that's already in the U.S. or from suppliers who don't close for the holiday. Our seasonal product calendar can help you plan which products to feature in January and February.
After the holiday: recover gradually
The official return to work on February 14 doesn't mean full output on February 15. Factories restart with whatever staff have returned and work through their backlog first. Check stock levels and processing times with each supplier before you restart ads on China-sourced products, and keep extended delivery estimates in place until orders are moving normally again.
How can you avoid Chinese New Year delays?
You can avoid most Chinese New Year delays by securing stock early, moving key products to U.S.-stocked suppliers, and adjusting your delivery promises before customers order. None of these steps is complicated, but each one needs to happen before the slowdown starts.
Secure stock before the slowdown
Dropshipping means you don't usually buy inventory upfront, but you still depend on someone having it. Before December ends, ask your suppliers how much stock they're holding for your best-selling products and whether it will cover the holiday period. If you work with a supplier that builds stock to order, ask whether it can produce extra before the break.
For products you can't secure, have a plan. That could mean a backup supplier, a substitute product, or temporarily pausing the listing so you don't take orders you can't fill on time.
Shift key products to U.S.-stocked suppliers
U.S.-based suppliers generally follow the U.S. holiday calendar, so their warehouses keep shipping through Chinese New Year. Moving your best-sellers, or at least backup versions of them, to U.S.-stocked suppliers keeps your store selling while China-direct products are delayed. Our guide to finding and vetting U.S. dropshipping suppliers walks through what to check before you switch.
One caution: a U.S. warehouse isn't completely immune. If a U.S. supplier restocks from Chinese factories, its inventory can run low after the holiday too. Check stock depth and ask how the supplier handles restocking before you rely on it.
Doba is an AI-powered, U.S.-focused dropshipping platform with a large share of its catalog stocked in U.S. warehouses. You can browse U.S.-stocked products in Doba's Ship from US collection and compare vetted suppliers by fulfillment rate, processing time, warehouse location, and shipping options before you list. That makes it easier to find holiday-proof alternatives to your China-direct products without starting your sourcing from scratch.
Adjust your delivery promises
The fastest way to turn a delay into a refund is to promise a delivery date you can't keep. From mid-January until suppliers are back to normal, update delivery estimates on China-direct products, and keep each estimate specific to the product and supplier rather than one storewide promise.
A few practical steps help:
Add a short shipping notice to your homepage, product pages, and checkout explaining that some items may take longer because of the holiday.
Label U.S.-stocked products clearly so customers who need something quickly can choose them.
Prepare reply templates for "where's my order?" messages, with honest updates rather than vague reassurance.
Watch for problem orders and reach out first when an order stalls, rather than waiting for a complaint or a dispute.
Clear expectations won't speed up a factory, but they keep customers from feeling surprised, and that's what usually prevents refunds and chargebacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: When should I place my last orders with Chinese suppliers before Chinese New Year 2027?
For China-direct products, plan your last orders for around mid-January 2027, and earlier if your supplier sets an earlier cutoff. Stock orders for best-sellers should go in during December. After the cutoff, shift promotions to U.S.-stocked products and use extended delivery estimates on anything shipping from China.
Q2: Do U.S. dropshipping suppliers close for Chinese New Year?
Generally no. U.S.-based suppliers follow the U.S. holiday calendar, so their warehouses keep shipping through the holiday. The exception is restocking: if a U.S. supplier sources its inventory from Chinese factories, stock can run low after the holiday. Doba lets you filter for U.S.-stocked products and check supplier processing time and warehouse location before you list, so you can line up alternatives ahead of time.
Q3: How should I update delivery times during Chinese New Year?
Show product-specific delivery estimates, extend them on China-direct items from mid-January until suppliers confirm normal processing, and add a short holiday shipping notice to your store. Keep standard estimates on U.S.-stocked products and label them clearly, so customers who need something sooner can choose those items.
