Sourcing Calendar: Planning Around Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year reshapes the sourcing calendar every year. Most factories close for two to four weeks, but the practical disruption is longer: capacity fills up six to eight weeks beforehand as everyone tries to ship before the shutdown, and staff returns are staggered for another fortnight afterwards. If you need goods in Q1, place orders by early November. If your timeline is flexible, the weeks straight after the holiday are often the best time to negotiate — factories are rebuilding their order books and more willing to move on quantity and price.