Chinese New Year 2026: How to prepare your supply chain

Chinese New Year is one of the most predictable disruptions in global manufacturing and logistics, yet it still surprises teams every year. The reason is simple: the disruption is not limited to the official holiday week. Production winds down early, shipping capacity tightens, labor availability becomes uncertain, and recovery takes longer than most planning calendars allow. Major carriers and supply chain operators consistently note that the ripple effects can stretch for weeks before and after the holiday.

For 2026, ASKT has published an operational schedule early so buyers can plan with real dates, not guesses. The key message is also clear: if you want pre-holiday delivery, the decision window closes months earlier than the holiday itself.

Key dates you can plan around

ASKT’s 2026 Spring Festival operating plan gives you a practical “lock points” timeline:

• Office holiday start: February 14, 2026

• Office reopens: February 23, 2026

• Production stop: February 7 to February 24, 2026

• Last container loading before CNY: February 12, 2026

• Latest order date for pre-CNY delivery: end of November 2025

• First shipment after CNY: end of March 2026, with orders ideally placed by the first week of January 2026 to secure March production priority

These dates create three operating realities:

1. pre-holiday is a capacity auction (materials, labor, containers)

2. holiday is a hard stop for production

3. post-holiday is a ramp-up period where “open” does not mean “back to full speed”

What changes during Chinese New Year and why it matters

Production capacity compresses before the shutdown

Factories do not maintain normal cadence right up to the holiday. Output slows as workers travel, lines finish last batches, and raw material suppliers also tighten schedules. Many manufacturers shut down for one to four weeks, and staffing can remain volatile even after reopening.

Logistics becomes constrained earlier than most teams expect

Ocean schedules, equipment availability, and warehouse handoffs get less reliable as the peak pre-holiday rush builds. Carriers highlight that disruption begins well before the holiday and can last up to six weeks, depending on lanes and port conditions.

Recovery is the hidden lead time

The most common planning mistake is assuming that shipments resume immediately after offices reopen. In practice, backlogs, labor return rates, and port congestion determine when your cargo truly moves. This is why ASKT flags end of March 2026 as the first meaningful post-holiday shipment window for many orders.

The 2026 preparation playbook

Step 1 Forecast demand and set a risk window

Define the disruption window as pre-CNY tightening + shutdown + ramp-up, not the public holiday dates alone. Use last year’s sales and promotional calendar to identify which SKUs cannot tolerate stockouts. Then convert that into a “coverage requirement” for your inventory plan.

Practical rule: if an item drives revenue, has long lead time, or cannot be substituted, treat it as a priority SKU and plan inventory coverage through late March.

Step 2 Confirm supplier calendars in writing

Ask for five specific items from every supplier:

• production stop dates and restart dates

• last feasible order confirmation date

• last feasible ship date

• labor return expectations after reopening

• material cutoffs for critical components

Supplier-specific calendars are non-negotiable because timelines vary by region, workforce composition, and product type.

Step 3 Lock orders earlier than you feel comfortable

ASKT’s schedule provides an explicit benchmark:

• Pre-CNY delivery: place orders by end of November 2025

• Early post-CNY shipment: submit orders by early January 2026 to secure March priority

If your team waits for final sales signals in December, you may still ship—but you should plan for later departures and higher variability.

Step 4 Reserve logistics capacity and define cut points

For ocean freight, define three cut points internally:

• “must ship before CNY”

• “can ship after CNY with no customer impact”

• “must have partial shipments or alternatives”

Then coordinate container bookings and loading windows around the supplier’s last pre-holiday loading date. For ASKT customers, a critical operational marker is February 12, 2026 as the last container loading before the holiday.

Step 5 Build a targeted buffer instead of overbuying everything

Not all inventory should be treated equally. Use an ABC approach:

• A items: top revenue and commitment SKUs; protect first

• B items: stable runners; moderate buffer

• C items: flexible; consolidate or pause

This prevents “blanket safety stock” that strains cash and warehouse space while still leaving you exposed on high-impact items.

Step 6 Align commercial promises with operational reality

Sales and customer service should use the same delivery language as operations:

• communicate a pre-CNY cutoff date

• publish a post-CNY ramp-up window

• offer substitution or split shipment options for critical accounts

If you sell B2B, this is the moment to renegotiate delivery SLAs for Q1–Q2 and protect trust.

Step 7 Run a post-holiday ramp-up cadence

During the first 2–4 weeks after reopening, manage by updates, not assumptions:

• weekly production progress

• daily shipping milestones for priority orders

• rolling ETA adjustments based on real departures

This is where most “silent delays” happen if teams do not actively monitor.

Timeline table for planning and execution

Time window	What typically happens	What you should do	ASKT reference dates
Now to end of November 2025	Capacity begins to tighten for popular factories and materials	Finalize pre-CNY POs, confirm specs, lock critical SKUs	Latest order date for pre-CNY delivery: end of Nov 2025
December 2025 to first week of January 2026	Scheduling decisions become harder to change	Place post-holiday orders early to secure priority slots	Orders by 1st week of Jan 2026 for March shipment priority
Late January to early February 2026	Pre-holiday rush for production and logistics	Freeze changes, prepare packing/labels, confirm bookings	Production stop begins Feb 7, 2026
Mid-February 2026	Office and factory shutdown period	Expect limited responsiveness; execute exception-only changes	Office holiday Feb 14; last loading Feb 12
Late February to March 2026	Ramp-up and backlog clearing	Track labor return, production output, and sailing reliability	Production resumes after Feb 24; first shipment end of March

Outcome comparison table for order timing

Your order timing	Likely production outcome	Likely shipping outcome	Best for
By end of November 2025	Highest probability to finish before shutdown	Best chance to load before CNY constraints peak	Pre-CNY promotions, tight retail calendars
December 2025	Increasing risk of being pushed to post-holiday	Container space tight; higher schedule volatility	Medium-risk SKUs, flexible delivery windows
By first week of January 2026	Secures better position in post-holiday queue	Better chance for late-March departures	Replenishment for early Q2, planned launches
Late January or later	Highest risk of backlog and delayed slotting	ETAs drift into April or beyond depending on lane	Only for non-critical items

How ASKT supports your 2026 supply chain plan

ASKT’s operational plan is designed to reduce uncertainty for importers by publishing shutdown and shipping milestones in advance and encouraging early coordination with dedicated sales consultants for scheduling and logistics alignment.

From a manufacturing capability standpoint, ASKT positions itself as a long-term supplier for dining room furniture, with experience serving the European market, multiple R&D centers, and a defined quality system. ASKT states it follows ISO9001-backed process standards, runs professional testing on chairs, and staffs inspection capacity to maintain consistent performance across orders.

For 2026 planning, this translates into three practical partner commitments buyers typically care about:

• clearer cutoffs and earlier visibility on production schedules

• stronger coordination for shipping windows around peak disruption

• a focus on quality consistency when capacity is constrained

FAQ

When is Chinese New Year 2026 and how long is the disruption?

Chinese New Year begins on February 17, 2026. In logistics, the disruption often starts weeks earlier and can last up to six weeks depending on lane conditions, supplier shutdown length, and recovery speed.

What is the last safe time to place orders for pre-CNY delivery with ASKT?

ASKT’s published benchmark is end of November 2025 for orders intended to be delivered before the holiday shutdown.

What is the last container loading date before the shutdown?

ASKT lists February 12, 2026 as the final container loading before CNY.

If I miss pre-CNY shipping, when can I expect the first post-holiday shipments?

ASKT indicates the end of March 2026 as the first shipment window after CNY for many orders, and recommends placing post-holiday orders by the first week of January 2026 to secure production priority.

Why do lead times stay unstable after factories reopen?

Because reopening does not equal full capacity. Labor return rates vary, production backlog accumulates, and freight networks face congestion and schedule changes during recovery.

Should I use air freight as a backup?

Air can protect service levels for small, high-margin, or contract-critical items, but it is rarely an economical solution for bulky goods. Use it selectively: only for A items where the cost is lower than the revenue or penalty risk.

What is the most common mistake teams make around CNY?

Planning only for the holiday week instead of the full disruption cycle: pre-holiday tightening, production stop, and post-holiday ramp-up.

Conclusion

Chinese New Year 2026 is predictable, but predictability only helps if decisions happen early enough. Use supplier-specific dates to build your plan, lock critical orders before capacity becomes scarce, and treat the post-holiday period as a managed ramp-up rather than an instant return to normal.

ASKT’s 2026 schedule provides concrete milestones: production stops February 7–24, last container loading is February 12, and the most reliable pre-holiday order window closes by end of November 2025. For teams planning post-holiday replenishment, orders placed by early January 2026 are positioned for end-of-March shipments.

A strong CNY plan is not complicated: prioritize critical SKUs, align sales promises to operational reality, secure capacity before the rush, and run an active recovery cadence. Done well, your Q1–Q2 supply chain becomes steadier, costs become more controllable, and customer trust stays intact—even through the biggest seasonal disruption of the year.