Plan ahead for China’s Golden Week 2026

From October 1 to October 7, 2026, China will observe the National Day Golden Week holiday. During this period, many factories, government agencies, and businesses will temporarily reduce or suspend operations, which may affect production schedules, transportation capacity, and cargo flows across global supply chains. To help minimize potential disruptions and maintain supply chain continuity, we encourage customers to review shipment plans, inventory levels, and logistics requirements well in advance of the holiday period.

What is Golden Week?

Golden Week is one of China’s most important annual holidays, characterized by extensive travel and reduced business activity across the country. Manufacturing, logistics, and administrative operations typically slow down during this period, creating temporary impacts on both domestic and international supply chains.

DACHSER in China will be closed from October 1 to October 7, 2026, and normal operations will resume on October 8, 2026.

Potential impact on supply chains

As the holiday approaches, many companies may accelerate shipments before factory closures, resulting a surge in demand for logistics services.

For ocean freight, carriers may adjust capacity and schedules during this period, including blank sailings and vessel omissions. This may result in tighter space availability, equipment shortages, increased drop-off and pick-up costs, and changes to sailing schedules. These factors may also affect service reliability and transit times.

For air freight, increased demand is expected from mid-September ahead of the holiday, which may put pressure on available capacity and booking lead times.

Following the holiday, cargo volumes and transportation schedules may take some time to normalize as operations gradually return to regular levels.

Recommended actions
To maintain supply chain efficiency, we recommend:

• Plan ahead by aligning production schedules with suppliers and ensuring sufficient inventory levels before the holiday.
• Share shipment forecasts early to support capacity planning and identify optimal transport solutions.
• Book ocean freight in advance to reduce the risk of space constraints and schedule changes.
• Anticipate increased air freight demand in mid-September and secure bookings as early as possible.

For shipment planning support or tailored logistics solutions, please contact your regular DACHSER representative. We're here to help keep your supply chain remain efficient through Golden Week and beyond.