China working-day lead times around holidays
Agree the calendar for each stage, the event that starts the clock and whether replacement working weekends count. Ask the factory to confirm a dated completion milestone using its actual production calendar, then check inspection and collection availability separately. Ask Cambridge China Bridge to coordinate these confirmations with its staff in China.
Agree whose working calendar applies
Before accepting a working-day lead time, ask the seller to name the calendar used for production. Is it the factory's operating calendar, a Monday-to-Friday calendar excluding specified holidays, or another agreed basis? If you buy through a UK seller, ask it to reconcile its quoted timing with the factory's schedule.
Treat buyer approvals, production, testing, inspection and collection as separate activities. Ask each responsible party which dates it can work. A day available for production may be unavailable for approval or inspection. Our shipping lead-time guide explains how these stages fit into the wider delivery plan.
Confirm which weekends count
For any weekend described as a replacement working weekend, ask whether it counts towards your quoted lead time and whether your production line will actually operate. Confirm the availability of materials, subcontractors and the people needed for that stage. An open sales office is insufficient evidence that your order will progress.
Ask for the factory's dated closure and restart schedule, including any extra shutdown outside the holiday calendar. For comparison, UK bank holidays falling on weekends have substitute weekdays, normally the following Monday. Keep that UK arrangement separate from the factory calendar. Use our China holiday calendar as a planning prompt, then confirm the order-specific dates.
Record when the clock starts
Ask the seller to list the conditions that start the quoted period: cleared deposit, approved sample, final artwork or specification, material availability and any other agreed prerequisites. Get written confirmation of when those conditions were satisfied. A payment instruction or an unanswered approval email leaves the start date uncertain.
Agree whether counting includes the start date or begins on the next eligible working day. Record the relevant time zone and any approval cut-off. Ask how later changes or missing inputs affect the schedule, and require a revised completion date when they do. Put this basis in your production purchase order.
Turn the lead time into a dated milestone
Ask the seller to return the actual completion date, written with the month in words, alongside the agreed start date and counting basis. Request a dated schedule showing counted working days, excluded closures and included replacement weekends. This lets you check the calculation without guessing which calendar was used.
Define completion precisely: finished manufacture, packed goods ready for inspection, inspection accepted, or goods ready for collection. Ask for separate dates where these milestones differ. Confirm inspection availability and collection arrangements before using the factory completion date to promise delivery to your customer.
Keep the date tied to evidence
Ask the factory to confirm the schedule in writing and support progress with material status, production records and dated photographs tied to your order. Check the next milestone before the holiday closure, and confirm actual progress after restart. If progress slips, use the factory delay recovery guide.
Use this confirmation request: “Please confirm the calendar used, start conditions and date, whether the start date counts, excluded closure dates, included replacement weekends, and the dated completion milestone. Please also confirm inspection and collection availability, and identify any unresolved dependency.” Ask for an updated schedule when any answer changes.
Frequently asked questions
Do replacement working weekends count in a factory lead time?
Ask the seller to confirm both the counting basis and whether your production line will operate. Include the weekend only when the agreed schedule counts it and the relevant work can proceed.
Does a China production lead time use UK working days?
Do not assume so. Ask which calendar the quote uses and have the seller reconcile it with the factory's actual operating dates. Confirm buyer approvals and inspection availability separately.
When does the factory lead-time clock start?
Get written confirmation that all agreed start conditions are satisfied. Record the start date, time zone and whether that date counts or counting begins on the next eligible working day.
How do I confirm an actual factory completion date?
Request a dated schedule showing counted days and closures. Define what completion means, then confirm inspection and collection dates separately before promising customer delivery.