Lead time

What is Lead time?

Lead time runs from your deposit and approved sample to goods finished, inspected and ready to ship — not merely the factory's production days. Samples, revisions, holidays (Chinese New Year stops the country for weeks), inspection booking and port congestion all sit inside the real number. Always ask for the lead time to 'cargo ready', add a buffer for your first order with any factory, and work backwards from when you must have stock, not from when you place the order.