September 2, 2024

Golden Week in China - Shipping Advisory

October Golden Week in 2024 falls between 1st October and 7th October. As most exporters hope to ship goods out before the holiday, there will be a relative peak in the 2nd half of September for both ocean and air freight. Some of the businesses will be closed or operate with minimal staffing levels, so their production will be slowed down during the holiday. 

National Day falls on the 1st of October and commemorates the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Schools and Government Agencies are closed. Celebrations are held in China Mainland, Macau and Hong Kong for the National Holiday. 

Usually, during the holiday period, there is a high level of travel as people return home to visit family or take international or domestic trips to enjoy the vacation period. It is generally one of the biggest weeks for tourism in the People's Republic of China.  

Golden week: Impact on Shipping 

As with the Chinese New Year festivities, the October Golden Week in the People's Republic of China can also impact your shipments. The Golden Week holiday also has impact on trucking and general staffing levels in operations. This can lead to delays, congestion and traffic at the main ports for your ocean freight and limited trucking availability before the holiday season begins.

In general, there is a surge in activity from mid-September due to the Golden Week holidays as shippers prepare to move their shipments in advance of the holidays. 

How to prepare for Golden Week 

Place bookings with us as early as possible, for ocean freight, it is best to place your order three to four weeks before the cargo is ready, and for airfreight, at least one week before, if you want to secure space before the holiday starts.  

It is possible that there may be some schedule changes for vessels before the Golden Week holiday, and blank sailings will usually be announced by shipping lines for the second week of October due to the reduction in capacity needed right after the holiday. Therefore, it is imperative to pay close attention to the possible sailing schedule adjustments from ocean carriers.   

For import air freight shipments into China, it is advisable to ensure arrival dates do not fall during the holiday period so as to avoid additional storage charges that could be incurred due to delays. Alternatively, you can check with your consignee beforehand for their preferred latest ETA of cargo into China.  

If you require support in avoiding any supply chain disruption around the October Golden Week, now is the time to reach out to your Crane Worldwide representative to avoid delays. 

Kindly note there is a surge in demand for space before and after the holidays, Crane Worldwide can provide flexibility to accommodate client requests in order to provide the best solution.

Be prepared: More information about Chinese New Year 2025  

Crane Worldwide Logistics in the Asia Pacific Region

Did you know...? Crane Worldwide has 130 locations, in 30 countries around the world and are able to provide full international logistics services.

In Asia, we have a strong presence throughout P.R. China as well as Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. We are also located in Australia.

You can check out our global directory for a full list of Crane Worldwide Locations. Reach out if we can help!