China’s Golden Week To Pause Exports And Slow Supply Chains

China will celebrate Golden Week starting Wednesday, October 1, marking the country’s National Day and ushering in a full week of nationwide holidays.

Golden Week is one of just two times each year - the other being Lunar New Year - when manufacturing and exports in China practically come to a stop.

With factories, offices, and logistics providers closed, production and shipments pause, creating ripple effects that can delay export activity by two to three weeks.

The logistics impact is far-reaching. Domestic transportation activity drops significantly, and while ocean carriers plan ahead to offset the slowdown, disruptions are unavoidable.

In preparation, ocean freight carriers have already canceled roughly 10–15% of sailings between now and late October, which may cause some full-container-load (FCL) bookings to miss their planned departures.

Less-than-container-load (LCL) shipments are also affected, as container consolidation halts during the holiday.

For businesses with urgent or time-sensitive cargo, the Golden Week closure presents a critical planning challenge. Customers concerned about any urgent shipments during this time are encouraged to reach out to the Croft Cargo team for tailored guidance and support.

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