Guide

6 February 2027 is the holiday. The sailing decision is in December.

Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February. Factories in China often stop taking new cargo in the second half of January. Ocean freight that must move before that pause has to be quoted in November or December, not in the week the holiday starts. Dalian and other North China ports usually add a feeder, so their cutoff is earlier than a Shanghai or Shenzhen loading. Air is what remains when the vessel is gone. This is a planning note, not a rate.

Published 2026-10-10

Containers moving inland

What to send in November

  • The cargo-ready date you actually have, and the date the consignee can receive
  • Weight, CBM, and whether any piece is awkward
  • The load port. A Dalian feeder is not a Shanghai cutoff
  • Whether the date can slip past the holiday. If it cannot, say so

What December is for

  • Confirming the sailing while space still exists on pre-holiday vessels
  • Documents for the destination, including a US security filing if the box is America-bound
  • A second mode, air or rail, written down before the ocean option disappears
  • No assumption that a January factory can still load

Questions shippers ask

Is 6 February the last day a factory will load?

No. It is the public holiday. Many plants wind down earlier, often from mid-January. Ask your supplier for their last loading day and send that date with the inquiry.

Does the holiday change the lane’s transit window?

The ocean time does not shrink because a factory is closed. The risk is missing the last sailing that still connects. The lane pages stay planning windows.

What if the cargo is not ready until February?

Say that. The reply will use the first sailing after the holiday instead of pretending a January cutoff still works.

Quote a pre-holiday sailing

Ready date, destination, and whether the date can move past February.