Why Underwear Production in China Can Be Unstable After Chinese New Year — and How Experienced Factories Reduce the Risk

Many overseas buyers sourcing underwear from China notice a recurring issue every year. Orders placed around January or February often face uncertainty — slower production, delayed shipments, or unclear timelines.

This is not a coincidence, nor is it a sign of poor manufacturing capability.

It is a structural characteristic of the Chinese manufacturing system — and one that buyers should understand when planning production.

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The Real Impact of Chinese New Year on Factories

Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China. During this period, factory workers across the country return to their hometowns, often for extended family gatherings.

For manufacturing plants, this means production pauses temporarily.

The bigger challenge, however, begins after the holiday.

Not all workers return at the same time. Some return weeks later, and some choose not to return at all. This creates a labor gap that affects many factories, including those producing underwear.

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Why Production Becomes Unstable After the Holiday

The holiday itself is predictable. The instability comes from how factories handle the restart.

Workforce Turnover

In many factories, Chinese New Year marks a natural reset point. Workers leave, and new workers are hired shortly afterward. While common, this transition period introduces risk:

• New workers require training
• Efficiency fluctuates
• Quality consistency becomes harder to control

Factories with weak labor retention often need several weeks — or longer — to return to normal output.

Seasonal Production Pressure

Because of this uncertainty, buyers tend to rush orders before Chinese New Year. This creates a concentrated production peak before the holiday and another surge after factories reopen.

Over time, this pattern forms what the industry calls a “busy season” around the Lunar New Year — not because demand suddenly increases, but because buyers are trying to avoid supply disruption.

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What This Means for Overseas Buyers

For buyers unfamiliar with this cycle, the consequences can be significant:

• Delayed delivery schedules
• Inconsistent quality during production restart
• Reduced communication efficiency
• Missed selling windows due to late shipments

These risks do not affect every factory equally. They are far more common when working with manufacturers that rely on short-term labor or seasonal order spikes.

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How Experienced Factories Reduce These Risks

Factories that maintain stable delivery through this period usually share several traits:

• A core workforce that stays year after year
• Long-term employment relationships
• Consistent orders throughout the year
• Production planning that does not depend on seasonal rushes

Stability is not something a factory can create during one busy season.

It is built gradually, through long-term decisions.

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How We Approach Production Stability at Yejie

After decades in underwear manufacturing, we have seen these cycles repeat many times. Our focus has always been consistency rather than short-term volume growth.

Workforce Stability Comes First

Many of our workers have been with us for years. They are not treated as temporary labor, but as long-term members of the production team.

We believe that mutual respect plays a role in retention. Beyond daily operations, we maintain simple traditions during major festivals — such as preparing small holiday gifts during the Dragon Boat Festival — as a way to strengthen connection rather than obligation.

This sense of belonging matters. Workers who feel valued are far more likely to return after holidays and continue growing with the factory.

Stable Orders Support Stable Teams

Another often-overlooked factor is order consistency.

Some factories experience long gaps without steady production during the year. When work is uncertain, skilled workers naturally seek more reliable opportunities elsewhere.

Because our production runs steadily throughout the year, we are able to offer stable employment. This creates a positive cycle: consistent orders support stable teams, and stable teams ensure reliable production.

Continuous Production Beyond Peak Seasons

Except for official public holidays, our factory operates continuously throughout the year. We do not rely on pre-holiday rushes or post-holiday recovery periods to meet production targets.

For buyers, this means clearer planning, more predictable timelines, and fewer surprises — even during traditionally sensitive months.

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What Buyers Should Consider

When sourcing underwear from China, price and samples are important — but they do not tell the full story.

Buyers should also ask:

• How does the factory manage production after Chinese New Year?
• How stable is the workforce?
• Is production consistent year-round, or seasonal?

These factors often determine long-term reliability more than short-term cost differences.

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Final Thought

Seasonal instability in Chinese manufacturing is real, but it is not unavoidable.

Factories that invest in people, planning, and long-term operations are better positioned to deliver consistently — regardless of the calendar.

If you are planning underwear production in China and value stable delivery throughout the year, we are always open to a discussion — even at an early planning stage.