Import lead times from China: typical timeline and backward schedule

Which lead time are we talking about?

When a supplier quotes "30 days," they mean production, starting from the deposit and sample approval. Your actual lead time runs from the first brief to stock on the shelf in your warehouse, in Europe, the UK or North America.

Three factors change the total: product maturity (existing SKU or custom), destination and mode of transport, and the Chinese calendar.

The typical timeline, week by week

Illustrative example: first order of an existing product with light customization (color, logo, packaging), shipped by container. "W" stands for week; the durations reflect the ranges detailed below.

That is 21 to 26 weeks, an indicative build-up rather than a statistic. A new mold adds its tooling before production; for a replenishment order, the first four lines almost disappear.

Sourcing and samples

A quote is only comparable if the specification is precise: materials, dimensions, tolerances, finishes, packaging, markings. Every question from the supplier can cost a day, given the time difference.

The golden sample (reference sample) is the one you approve, sign and keep: production will be inspected against it. Hospitality equipment supplier Deper allows 2 to 4 weeks for this phase, extended by each round of corrections.

Production: highly variable ranges

The clock starts at the deposit (often 30%, with the 70% balance before shipment) and at golden sample approval. Benchmarks published by Deper (hospitality equipment, materials available) and QualityInspection.org (molds):

For a mold, the clock starts when the drawing is frozen. Variations come from materials, testing and factory workload.

Inspections: build them into the schedule

A during-production inspection (DUPRO) catches a recurring defect in time. The pre-shipment inspection (PSI) takes place when the full quantity is produced and at least 80% packed, at least 2 days before the goods leave the factory; some importers schedule it 2 weeks ahead, to leave time for rework. Details in our guide to inspections before, during and after production.

Booking and security filings

Depending on the Incoterms® rule you choose, you or your supplier books the transport (see our complete guide to Incoterms®). At loading, the carrier issues the bill of lading (B/L), the document of title for the goods.

Major markets also require security data before loading in China. What matters most is who files it:

• ENS: entry summary declaration, via the ICS2 system (Import Control System 2) in the EU and Northern Ireland.
• ISF (Importer Security Filing): the importer is exposed; US Customs (CBP, Customs and Border Protection) can claim $5,000 per violation.
• ACI (Advance Commercial Information): the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) allows 24 to 96 hours depending on the type of freight.

A late document can make you miss a vessel.

Transit: "port to port" is not "door to door"

Ocean transit times come on top of pre-carriage, waiting for the vessel, unloading, customs and delivery. Flexport's weekly index measures the time between cargo ready at the exporter and its exit from the port of arrival.

This indicator changes every week (East Coast: 59.5 days the previous week) and does not cover Canada: ask your freight forwarder for the actual transit time there.

According to Xeneta, actual Far East–Northern Europe transit time went from 40 days via Suez (October 2023) to 52 via the Cape of Good Hope (December 2025), against 46 announced. In mid-September 2026, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd announced a partial return via Suez, subject to stability in the Red Sea: check the route when you book. Full container load (FCL) or less than container load (LCL)? See our FCL or LCL guide.

Arrival and customs clearance

With a complete file (invoice, packing list, bill of lading, exact HS code, certificates), customs clearance rarely derails a schedule. Days are lost on a missing document, a disputed classification, a physical inspection, or on receipt at a congested warehouse or third-party logistics provider (3PL). Details by market: EU, UK and US customs clearance.

The Chinese calendar: three periods to plan around

Chinese New Year: Saturday, February 6, 2027

The Spring Festival follows the lunar calendar: in 2027, it falls on Saturday, February 6; the Lantern Festival, which closes the festivities, on February 20. As of September 25, 2026, we have not found the official 2027 holiday calendar; the 2026 one, published on November 4, 2025, counted 9 days off (February 15-23).

Beyond the legal holiday, factories generally close for two to four weeks. According to Maersk, production slows 2 to 3 weeks before the festival and, in 2026, was not expected to return to full capacity until mid-March. Many workers go back to their home province (the chunyun travel period lasted 40 days in 2026); some do not return, and new hires weigh on pace and quality.

Consequences:

• demand for production and transport concentrates before the festival;
• a two-week slip can block production until the restart;
• batches produced just before and just after deserve reinforced inspection.

Golden Week: National Day

After Mid-Autumn Festival (September 25-27), National Day is a holiday from October 1 to 7, 2026; in exchange, Sunday, September 20 and Saturday, October 10 are working days. According to Maersk, many factories slow down or close, and the restart brings delays, tight transport capacity and higher freight rates.

Canton Fair: two sessions a year

The China Import and Export Fair is held in Canton (Guangzhou) in spring and autumn, in three phases. The 140th session opens in mid-October 2026 (electronics, lighting, machinery, materials), then phase 2 from October 23 to 27 (home, decor, gifts) and phase 3 from October 31 to November 4 (apparel, textiles, children, office, health). In spring 2026, it was held from April 15 to May 5.

You meet many suppliers there in a few days, ideally before factory visits; but sales teams, on the show floor, may respond more slowly. An order placed in early November, with 6 to 10 weeks of manufacturing, finishes production as Chinese New Year approaches.

Plan backward from your launch date

1. Set the date the product must be sellable.
2. Subtract receipt, delivery, customs clearance and actual transit time.
3. Subtract loading, pre-shipment inspection and production.
4. Subtract order, samples, sourcing and internal approvals: who signs off on the golden sample, and when?
5. Overlay the Chinese calendar: if a critical step overlaps Chinese New Year or Golden Week, move it earlier.

What safety margins should you plan for?

A useful margin goes where the risk is:

• Samples: one more round of revisions than planned.
• Chinese New Year: production finishing in the three weeks before? Consider shipping after the restart.
• Transport: actual transit time, not the quoted one (a 6-day gap on Asia–North Europe at the end of 2025, according to Xeneta).
• Budget: a contingency allowance, recommended by Maersk: demurrage (a full container left too long at the terminal) and detention (an empty container returned late).

With several suppliers, the consolidated container leaves when the last batch is ready and inspected: that is the milestone an origin-side logistics service prioritizes.

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