Sourcing from China can seem overwhelming. People newer to the experience won’t know all the ins and outs of product manufacturing, and this includes what time of the year is best to start working on your product. Most of the better times to order are often dictated by China’s holidays.
Chinese Holidays that Delay or Interrupt Product Production
Chinese New Year
China has several holidays throughout the year. Their largest and most significant one is their New Year Holiday starting in mid to late January. The holiday often lasts a few weeks. Many Chinese people take this time to travel back home and visit their families. Several traditions are celebrated including wearing traditional garments. Special customary foods are enjoyed to help make families feel at home.
Like its western counterpart, the Chinese New Year holiday is about starting afresh. Because of the length of the holiday, factories are often slammed with orders the months leading up to it, as customers will want to make sure they have enough product for the holiday and also to not run out of stock during the following month where factories will still be playing catch up.
As orders ramp up, so too will shipping prices and sometimes even unit costs. This makes it even more important to make sure you get your orders in before the Chinese New Year.
Other China Holidays
Tomb Sweeping Holiday
The Tomb Sweeping Holiday starts around April fourth or fifth and lasts a few days. Some workers may take a week off. The holiday is set to celebrate ancestors and honor them. Many Chinese workers will visit grave sites or spend time in nature.
Golden Week
Many Asian countries celebrate their own iteration of the Golden Week Holiday. The holiday is set to commemorate the founding of China. The holiday is set in the first week of October. There are other holidays in China, but those usually only last a day.
Production Times
There really isn’t a one size fits all answer on the specific times of the year. Production times can vary with orders, especially first time orders, as tooling is needed. Then there is also the fact that some products sell at specific periods of the year. It’s important to keep all this in mind before figuring out when to order.
While it is important to order well ahead of the Chinese New Year, specifically during or before, you also don’t want to be wasting inventory space holding stock you won’t need for a while. If you need help finding out what time of year would be best to figure out when to order your product, contact us now.