Another Golden Week holiday is fast approaching in China, the annual week-long celebration that follows the National Day of the People’s Republic of China on 1st October.
A further six days holiday are added to National Day, which makes up Golden Week, and this year’s dates are: Tuesday 1st October to Monday 7th October.
Factories, businesses and government institutions, such as schools, are closed as the Chinese travel from far and wide to be with their families during the week. Celebrations and activities are held throughout the country, while homes and public places are decorated with flowers and flags to mark the founding day of the People’s Republic of China on 1st October 1949.
This year, National Day falls on a Tuesday, so we can pretty much expect export production and logistics to come to an abrupt halt after Friday 27th September.
Usually, there will be last minute rushes for exporters to get orders out of the door before the holiday and this is complicated by the blanking (cancelling) of numerous sailings by ocean freight carriers around the holiday period, which can make available space tight.
Our advice, is to spend a little extra time planning to stay ahead of Golden Week, if you haven’t already done so. Calling orders forward by a few days, or even delaying them by a week or two, can help to avoid being caught up in the week where supply chains effectively go on vacation.
If you would like to discuss any orders you have moving around Golden Week, then please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Global Freight Services team.
