Chinese New Year Shipping Delays: Order Early for Ramadan 2027

Chinese New Year shipping delays will land right before Ramadan in 2027, so GCC importers need purchase orders confirmed and deposits paid by early December 2026. Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027 and Ramadan is expected to start in the UAE on 8 February. Factories stop output before that, so orders placed in January will most likely miss Ramadan.

Today is 28 October 2026. By our own count, that is 101 days to Chinese New Year and 103 days to Ramadan.

Why is 2027 different from other years?

In 2027 the two events almost overlap. Chinese New Year is on Saturday 6 February 2027, with New Year's Eve on Friday 5 February, according to StudyCLI's 2027 holiday calendar. Gulf News reports that Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday 8 February in the UAE, subject to official moon sighting.

That is a gap of two days. In a normal year, you might order Ramadan stock, wait out the shutdown, and still catch the tail of the season. In 2027, the factory shutdown happens before Ramadan begins. Whatever is not finished and loaded before it will arrive after the peak.

We have not used a Saudi start date here because we did not verify one. Saudi Arabia announces its own date, so check the official announcement before you set KSA launch plans.

How long do Chinese New Year shipping delays last?

Expect disruption for roughly six to ten weeks in total: a slowdown before the holiday, the holiday itself, and a slow restart. The sources below are carrier and forwarder guidance, not government rules. They give ranges, not promises.

• Maersk: factories typically cut output 2 to 3 weeks before the holiday and may not reach full capacity until mid-March. It also says freight demand surges before the holiday, peak season surcharges push rates up, and early booking is essential. That page covers the 2026 holiday, but the pattern repeats.
• Unicargo: factories run at reduced capacity for 3 to 4 weeks before the holiday. Many close for 2 to 4 weeks, and full output can take 4 to 6 weeks to return. It expects space constraints and higher rates from mid-December.
• CH Shipping (2027): factories wind down about a week before the holiday and reopen one to three weeks after. Many workers travel home, so output may stay below full capacity for a while. Lead times stay longer for a few weeks.

The sources disagree on some numbers, so plan with the stricter ones.

The official break length is also not final. One source expects an 8-day break from 5 to 12 February. Another lists 4 to 12 February. The State Council publishes the schedule, with make-up working days, and timing is reported as November or December. Plan for about 8 to 9 days and confirm when it is published.

Put together: a factory that slows down in mid-January, closes in early February and reaches full output in March will not deliver Ramadan goods in time if you order after the shutdown. Eid Al Fitr is expected on 9 or 10 March, so even a post-holiday order may arrive when the season is almost over.

How early should you place the purchase order for Ramadan?

Work backwards from the date you need goods on shelf or in your online store, and finish production before the factory slows down. Do not work forwards from today.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Dubai trading company sells kitchenware and gift sets, and wants stock in its warehouse by 25 January, about two weeks before Ramadan. Say the supplier needs 40 days to produce, and the cargo must load by 10 January, before the factory slows down.

Your numbers will differ. Sea transit from China to Jebel Ali, Dammam or Jeddah Islamic Port varies by carrier, route and season. Customs clearance time varies too. Ask your freight forwarder and customs broker for their current figures, and do not rely on a blog estimate. The point of the table is the method: subtract each stage from your deadline.

If your timeline already looks tight, the decision is today's. Every week you wait removes a week of production time.

What should you do in the next 30 days?

Use this order. It works for importers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam alike.

1. Decide what must arrive for Ramadan. Pick the lines that sell mainly in the weeks before Ramadan. Everything else can wait for a post-holiday order.
2. Send RFQs now. Ask for price, minimum order quantity, production time and the date the factory stops accepting new work. Ask for that date in writing.
3. Compare quotes on the same terms. Check the Incoterm, payment terms and packaging spec so quotes are like for like.
4. Approve samples fast. Slow sample approval is the most common way to lose a week.
5. Confirm the PO in writing. Include the production completion date and what happens if it slips.
6. Book freight early. Talk to your forwarder about space before the pre-holiday rush. Ask about surcharges, since Maersk and Unicargo both expect higher rates around this period.
7. Prepare customs paperwork in advance. Have the commercial invoice, packing list and HS codes checked by your broker before the cargo leaves China. For KSA, ask your broker how Fasah and ZATCA requirements apply to your goods. For the UAE, ask about Dubai Customs requirements.
8. Set a fallback. Decide now whether you will air freight a small share if a shipment slips, and what margin allows it.

If you run RFQs, supplier quotes and purchase orders across email and spreadsheets, a tool helps keep dates visible. Quickship's Sourcing module handles RFQs, supplier quotes and purchase orders in one place. It is software only. Quickship does not buy, ship or clear goods.

What mistakes do importers make before Chinese New Year?

Most delays come from planning errors that can be avoided.

• Treating the holiday as one week. The break is about 8 to 9 days, but the slowdown before it and the slow restart after it are longer.
• Ordering in January. A January PO for Ramadan goods is likely to be built after the holiday.
• Paying the deposit late. Many suppliers schedule production only after the deposit arrives. Check your supplier's terms.
• Skipping the written cut-off date. "We will be fast" is not a date.
• Assuming Ramadan dates are fixed. The 8 February start is expected, not confirmed. Moon sighting can shift it by a day, and Saudi Arabia sets its own date.
• Forgetting UAE holiday closures. If Eid Al Fitr is on 9 or 10 March, your own team and your broker may be closed for several days. Per Gulf News, the exact dates depend on the Shawwal crescent.
• Ignoring your online channels. If you sell on Amazon.ae, noon, Salla or Zid, stock must be received and listed before your Ramadan promotions. Check each platform's own inbound and listing timelines.

What if you have missed the window?

Reduce the order, not the plan. Ship a smaller quantity of your best sellers by air or by early sea freight if the factory still has capacity. Sell what you have first, and take pre-orders on the rest only if you can state a delivery date honestly. Then place your post-Ramadan order early. After the holiday, many factories are backed up, so the next peak will need the same early start.