Chinese New Year 2027: Toy Order Deadlines for Importers

Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February 2027, and the Lantern Festival on 20 February 2027 marks the end of the holiday season. Toy factories in Chenghai slow down before the holiday and close for several weeks around it. A new custom toy order should be confirmed up to about 74 days before the factory’s last production date, to fit samples, artwork, testing and 25–45 days of production.

Why toy factories slow down before and after Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is the main family holiday in China, and much of the workforce in Chenghai’s toy factories travels home for it, often to other provinces. Production does not stop on a single day, and it does not restart on a single day either.

• Before the holiday: workers leave in waves as travel dates approach, so line capacity drops in the final weeks. Factories try to finish open orders and avoid starting new ones they cannot complete. Suppliers of materials, printed boxes and components close on their own schedules, which can hold up an order even when the assembly line is still running.
• During the holiday: factories close for several weeks. Labs, packaging printers, trucking and the export side of the supply chain also run at reduced capacity.
• After the holiday: the restart is gradual. Lines reopen in stages, some workers return later than planned, and new staff need time to train. Orders confirmed during the holiday wait in a queue behind orders that were interrupted by the break.

For toy orders, the Chinese New Year factory shutdown is therefore longer than the public holiday itself. Each factory sets its own last production day and reopening day, so there is no single Chinese New Year 2027 factory closure date for the whole district. For each order, the last production date is confirmed with the factory when you confirm the order, and your timeline should work back from that date.

Plan backwards from the last production date

Start with the date the factory confirms as its last production day for your order. Then subtract each step that still has to happen before production can start. The times below are the typical figures quoted for Chenghai toy orders.

Toy order steps before Chinese New Year

Add up only the steps that apply to your order:

• New item, custom packaging, no test report: 1 day for the quote, up to 7 days for samples, about 7 days for artwork, up to 14 days for testing and up to 45 days of production. That is up to about 74 days, or roughly 10 to 11 weeks, before the last production date.
• New item, factory packaging, valid test report: quote, 3–7 days for samples and 25–45 days of production.
• Repeat order with no changes: production time only, because the test report is reusable and the artwork is already approved.

Treat the result as the latest safe date, not the target. Lines that are already full ahead of the holiday cannot add capacity, so confirming early gives the factory room to schedule your order without rushing it. Factories generally schedule production once the deposit is received, so pay the 30% deposit as soon as the order is confirmed, and plan the 70% balance, which is due before shipment.

What to finish before the holiday

• Samples approved. Order ex-stock samples early and approve them in writing. See ordering toy samples from China.
• Battery configuration fixed. For battery-operated and RC toys, decide with or without batteries at the quote; a change later means a new quote and possibly a new test.
• Artwork signed off. Window boxes, hang tags and multilingual packaging all need final files. Late artwork is a common reason an order misses the pre-holiday run.
• Testing booked. If an item has no valid report for your market, book the lab early so the 7–14 days fall before the break.
• Last production date confirmed. Ask for it in writing for each order, along with the expected loading date.

Options if you are already late

Standard catalogue items. Items on running production lines ship much faster than new runs: in our catalogue, 90% of standard items list a lead time of 10 days or less (see toy carton and container data 2026). They avoid the queue after the holiday. Availability is confirmed per item on the quote.

Split the order. Put the items that are ready, with approved samples and valid reports, into the pre-holiday run. Leave new designs and custom packaging for the first production after the restart.

Use the holiday for paperwork. Finish artwork, labelling text and order details so production can start as soon as the line reopens, rather than after it reopens and then waits for your files.

Ship a smaller first load. LCL works for trial orders, and a 20ft container across 3–4 categories is a practical entry point. A mixed 20ft container can carry 200+ SKUs, so a partial range can still go out before the break. See mixed container toys wholesale.

How Chinese New Year fits the wider toy calendar

Chinese New Year sits between two busy periods. From August to October, Chenghai lines fill for Christmas, and the same SKU that quotes 25 days in March can quote 40+ days in September. Christmas orders confirmed by late June ship comfortably; see the Christmas order deadline. Orders for spring, Easter and summer ranges cross the holiday, so the time lost around it has to be built into those plans. Summer and inflatable lines need 25–35 days of production plus transit, which means they should be confirmed before the break rather than after it. See summer toys wholesale and the full wholesale toy buying calendar.

If you are choosing new items now, the 25th Shantou · Chenghai International Toys and Gifts Fair runs from 29 October to 1 November 2026 at the Shantou International Convention and Exhibition Center. LeTin Toys’ office and showroom in Chenghai is about 40 minutes by car from Shantou Jieyang Airport, and factory visits can be arranged with a few days’ notice. More in the Chenghai toy market guide.

Want to confirm an order before the break? Send your list for a quote in 1 business day, or WhatsApp +86 137 2926 5640.

FAQ: Chinese New Year 2027 and toy orders

When is Chinese New Year 2027?

Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027, and the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the holiday season, falls on 20 February 2027. Toy factories slow down in the weeks before and restart gradually after.

How long do toy factories close for Chinese New Year?

Factories close for several weeks around the holiday, and each factory sets its own dates. The last production date for your order is confirmed with the factory when the order is confirmed.

When should I order toys before Chinese New Year?

Count back from the last production date. A new item with custom packaging and no test report can need up to about 74 days; a repeat order with no changes needs only the 25–45 days of production.

What happens to orders confirmed during the holiday?

They are scheduled after factories reopen, in line behind orders interrupted by the break. Finishing artwork and approvals during the holiday lets production start as soon as the line restarts.

Can I still get goods if I miss the pre-holiday deadline?

Standard catalogue items are the main option, with availability confirmed per item. You can also split the order, shipping ready items before the break and new designs after it.

Related: Christmas order deadline · Wholesale toy buying calendar · Toy MOQ explained · Toy samples from China · Toy sourcing agent China · Buy toys in bulk

LeTin Toys (Shantou LeTin Toys Trading Co., Ltd.) is a toy trading company in Chenghai, Shantou, established 2018.