China will begin its Golden Week holiday on Wednesday, October 1st, a nationwide celebration of National Day that extends through an entire week.
As one of only two annual week-long shutdowns—the other being Lunar New Year—the holiday brings much of the country’s manufacturing, logistics, and export activity to a standstill.
Factories close their doors, trucking services slow dramatically, and shipping operations temporarily pause. These closures often create a backlog that takes two to three weeks to fully overcome once operations resume.
The ripple effects reach far beyond China’s borders. Ocean carriers, anticipating the slowdown, have already withdrawn an estimated 10–15% of scheduled sailings between now and late October.
The reduced capacity means some full-container-load (FCL) cargo may not depart on the vessel’s originally planned. Consolidated freight is also impacted, as less-than-container-load (LCL) shipments depend on container loading, which halts during the holiday period.
For companies relying on time-sensitive deliveries, Golden Week can pose a significant planning challenge.
Customers concerned about time sensitive orders should contact the Global Freight Services team, which is always available to provide customised solutions and to help minimise supply chain disruption.