Golden Week 2025: are you prepared?

26 August 2025

From 1 through 8 October 2025, China will be celebrating Golden Week again. A week-long national holiday when millions of Chinese people travel, factories close, and the logistics chain comes under considerable strain. Every year, this week poses quite a challenge for shipping agents. What factors are involved and what should you bear in mind to avoid delays?

Limited capacity

In the weeks leading up to Golden Week, we traditionally see a surge in imports. Many companies want to ship their goods before the week of celebrations, so that shipping companies quickly reach full capacity. For sea freight, this means shipments often have to be booked as early as three to four weeks in advance, while air freight capacity is usually filled one to two weeks earlier.

Once the Golden Week starts, production more or less grinds to a halt. Factories, warehouses, and offices close, and transport services are barely available. Shipments not booked on time are automatically moved up and incur extra delays.

Subsequent catch-up backlog

After this public holiday, production gets back in full swing, followed by a new peak in both sea freight and air freight. This regularly leads to blank sailings or rollovers. Ports and customs offices also have to manage this extra workload, so that disruptions in the logistics chain are often felt for weeks afterwards.

For you, as a shipping agent, it makes sense to start planning ahead in your transport schedules. Making timely bookings reduces your risk of delays. Do you still want to import from China around the time of Golden Week? Make sure your bookings are secured well in advance to increase the chances of your cargo being on the scheduled sailing in good order.

Always up to date

Of course you want to avoid overlooking a foreign public holiday that disrupts your supply chain. Our digital public holidays calendar ensures you always have an up-to-date overview of national and international public holidays, helping you avoid surprises.

Are you unsure about the impact of Golden Week on your shipments? We are happy to help you plan.