While China-wide shutdowns for major holidays have significantly decreased in recent years, they still have a big impact on sourcing and manufacturing chains in the United States. Chinese New Year in particular greatly impacts timeframe and quality issues, especially for sensitive medical products. In addition, Chinese customs and border control will shut down, impacting medical imports and exports.
Companies should be proactive with suppliers by contacting them early and confirming schedules before holiday breaks. It’s also important to implement additional quality assurance measures before, during, and after the holiday seasons. Please keep in mind Chinese New Year starts on February 16, 2018, and usually runs for several weeks.