Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February, and the shutdown it triggers affects Kenyan importers months before the holiday itself. Many factories close for one to three weeks or longer, the weeks before bring a rush for space, and the weeks after bring a slow restart. Because sea freight to Kenya takes weeks, cargo that isn’t ready to leave China before the break lands late in your first quarter. Here is how to plan around it.

What Actually Happens

Published planning calendars put the 2027 holiday at 6 February, with the official public holiday running to around 12 February. In practice, disruption stretches over several weeks: factories close early, workers return gradually, and production restarts slowly. Many suppliers push to ship before the break, which tightens space and can raise freight rates in the weeks beforehand, and then face a backlog afterwards. Confirm the dates with your own supplier, since closures vary by factory and region.

Ask Your Factory for Four Dates

Rather than asking “when are you closed?”, ask for the last day to place orders, the last production day, the last dispatch or cargo-ready day, and the first production day after the holiday. Put those into your plan and work backwards from your Kenyan sales calendar. An order placed too close to the cut-off may not start production until after the break.

The Kenya Arithmetic

Sea freight from China to Kenya commonly takes three to six weeks, as explained in our timeline guide, plus Kenyan clearance and delivery. Cargo that leaves in mid-January arrives around February or early March; cargo that leaves after the restart can arrive in March or April. If a product matters for a peak sales period, decide early whether to bring forward production or pay for air freight on part of the order; compare options in our air versus sea guide.

Choose Your Port and Mode Carefully

Pre-holiday congestion can build at the busiest ports, and some forwarders recommend considering alternatives. We ship from Shanghai, Qingdao, Nansha and Tianjin, so talk to us about which gateway and sailing is best for your supplier’s location; see our FCL port guide. Urgent smaller shipments may justify air freight.

Get the Documents Done Before the Break

Document delays are worse during shutdowns, because offices and officials are away. Make sure your supplier prepares the Certificate of Origin, export declaration document, commercial invoice and packing list in good time, and that the Advance Cargo Declaration reference is arranged for containerised sea cargo. Our supplier documents checklist lists what to request.

Plan the Restart, Too

After the holiday, expect delays in production, sampling and quality checks, and don’t schedule a launch the week the factory reopens. Keep buffer stock if you can, and order your restart batches early so you hold a place in the production queue.

Tell Us Your Dates

What the product is, and its HS code if you know it
Your supplier’s location (city and province), which decides the port or airport
Cargo size: cartons, total cubic metres (CBM) and gross weight in kg
The Incoterm on your supplier’s quotation (EXW or FOB) and the supplier’s contact
Your target arrival date, and any permits or certificates your product needs

Restocking before or after the holiday? Tell us your supplier location and target arrival date, and we’ll say what’s realistic and what to book now.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Chinese New Year 2027? Published calendars put it on 6 February 2027, with the official holiday running to around 12 February. Confirm closure dates with your own factory.

How long do factories close? Commonly one to three weeks or more, with disruption extending several weeks either side as workers return.

Should I use air freight to get around the shutdown? For urgent or high-value goods it can make sense, but it depends on volume, weight and margin. Compare with sea freight.

What should I ask my supplier first? Ask for last order date, last production day, last dispatch day and first day back after the holiday.