| Timing window | What happens in China | What this means for your decanter order |
|---|---|---|
| March–early April (best) | Factories restart after CNY, low load, eager sales | Lowest total cost, fast lead time, best QC |
| June (very good) | Peak rush is over, next rush not started | Stable price, steady lead time, safe reorders |
| July (good, with caveats) | Summer slowdown, low raw cost, some weather delays | Cheap stock build, but arrival date needs buffer |
| April–May / Aug–Oct | Peak export months, fairs, holiday builds | Higher prices, longer queues, more QC pressure |
| Jan–Feb / Nov–Dec | CNY rush, shutdown, year-end crunch | Worst timing: long delays, high freight, weak support |
One 10,000-piece order of borosilicate decanters can cost $26,250 in March and $35,000 in December. The glass, the mold, and the box are the same. The timing is not.
To keep cost steady, you need a simple timing plan:
For deeper background on the glass itself, link this plan to your base material choices with guides like what a borosilicate glass bottle is and a clear borosilicate vs standard glass comparison.
China glass factories run on a clear yearly rhythm:
If you want to see this cycle with your own eyes, plan a trip using the China glass factory visit guide. You can pair that with an overview of top glass manufacturing regions for borosilicate decanters and a direct Hebei vs Guangdong supplier comparison to match the right region to your order month.
March is the sweet spot:
In this window, I often see 10–30% lower unit price, 20–25 day lead time, and better QC because teams are fresh and output is not rushed.
Use March for:
Map your process with the OEM whisky decanter page, the detailed OEM/ODM design-to-production guide, and the step-by-step OEM onboarding guide for glassware. In my own work, locking March slots for key SKUs has cut my yearly landed cost by close to 20%.
June sits between the spring rush and the next build wave. Factories are busy, but not stressed. This balance is ideal for reorders:
Use June for:
Pair your timing plan with product and brand work:
When a client asks, “When can I launch a new globe set?” my short answer is: sample in March–April, place the first serious PO in June.
In many years, July brings:
Total landed cost for a 10,000-piece run can drop below June levels. The trade-off is weather:
Most buyers see 3–7 extra days in worst cases. So July is great for stock builds, but not for tight event dates.
This is the month I like to push fun shapes that need strong shelf impact:
Some periods burn budget and nerves:
A simple view:
| Period | Main risk |
|---|---|
| January–February | CNY rush, shutdown |
| April–May | Peak export, raw cost jumps |
| Late Aug–October | Holiday builds + Golden Week |
| November–December | Year-end backlog and price spike |
When buyers must place POs in these months, I push them to use safer project types and extra time buffers. To cut risk, study a simple guide to glass container suppliers, explore B2B marketplaces for glass jars and bottles, and track new glass packaging design trends for 2025. This helps you move talks earlier in the year.
Not all decanters behave the same in a factory plan. Some need more hand work, some need more mold care:
You can shape your mix with:
I like to slot high-skill items into March and June, and keep simple globes or jars in July. That way, hard shapes get the calm, easy months.
Good timing is not just “when to pay”. It also sets when to design and when to check quality.
Use slow months (March, June, July) to set:
Helpful pages here:
In my own work, full artwork approval by end of May keeps Q4 plans safe, even if one sample round fails.
You can turn all these notes into one simple plan:
Mark your selling peaks.
Count backwards.
Match to good months.
Use market views like trends in unique glass jars and emerging trends in globe decanters to guess demand. For design refresh slots, draw ideas from new globe decanter design concepts.
Most mid-size buyers do well with 3–4 main POs per year: March, June, and a flexible July slot, plus a small top-up if a hero SKU explodes.
Right before you sign a PI, run a quick check list. I keep it simple:
Helpful support pages:
For new buyers, I also like to start with safer forms like jar styles, using guides such as glass jars wholesale and a simple guide to Chinese glass jar manufacturers before moving into complex decanter shapes.
For most buyers, March is the best month. Factories reopen after Chinese New Year, lines are not full, and sales staff work hard to win POs. You get strong price, fast lead time, and good QC. Back this with a plant visit using the China glass factory visit guide if you plan long-term work.
Yes. Even if you only buy one 20-foot container each year, timing can shift cost and stress:
You can focus on lower MOQ SKUs like glass decanters from the main category or simple glass jars wholesale. The same timing rules apply.
For a fresh globe shape:
Use these pages as your base:
If you want a premium set, study globe decanter sets and hand-blown globe decanter options.
Tequila and skull projects often mix heavy design and strong branding, so you need more front time:
Useful support pages:
In that case, shift your goal:
You can also use more flexible lines, like handcrafted vs machine-made jars or standard glass jars with lids, which are easier to slot into busy schedules.
Air freight is faster, but timing still matters:
For high-value decanters, I keep air moves as backup, not as a core plan. Good timing with sea freight from the start, based on the rules above, is still the main way to keep cost down and stock safe.
You should clear material and safety points before peak months:
Once you lock safe material choices early in the year, every later PO in March, June, and July becomes faster and easier to launch.
