Plan ahead for China’s Golden Week disruption

China’s national Golden Week holiday runs from 1–7 October 2026, and the U-Freight Group is advising businesses shipping goods to and from China to plan ahead to minimise potential disruption to their supply chains.

The week-long holiday traditionally sees widespread factory closures, reduced port and logistics activity, and increased demand for freight capacity in the run-up to the break. These factors can put pressure on available space, schedules and transit times, while backlogs can take time to clear once operations resume.

For importers and exporters with autumn delivery commitments, early booking can help secure capacity and provide greater control over costs and delivery schedules.

Book early and build in contingency

Our advice to businesses moving freight around the Golden Week period is to consider three key stages when planning their shipments:

Book early: Secure freight capacity before pre-holiday demand reaches its peak.

1–7 October: Allow for reduced factory, port and logistics operations during the holiday itself.

Recovery period: Build additional time into supply chain schedules to allow for backlogs and increased post-holiday demand to clear.

Choosing the right transport option

The most appropriate mode will depend on the urgency of the shipment, budget, cargo characteristics and delivery requirements.

Rail freight can provide an alternative to ocean and air, and U-Freight offers overland railfreight services connecting China with Europe. With an average transit time of around 20 days, rail can offer a balance between speed and cost, while generally producing lower emissions than air freight.

Air freight remains the fastest option for urgent, high-value or time-critical shipments where delivery speed is the overriding priority.

At U-Freight, our team can assess available ocean, air, rail and multimodal solutions against your required delivery date and other supply chain priorities.

Start planning now

With Golden Week approaching, customers shipping goods to or from China are encouraged to review their requirements and make arrangements as early as possible.

To discuss your upcoming shipments, please provide details of your origin, destination, cargo and required delivery date, and our team can help identify a suitable logistics solution.

For expert advice or assistance with planning your Golden Week shipments, please contact your local U-Freight office or visit the ocean freight section of this website, and keep your autumn supply chain moving.