Back Chinese Golden Week 2024

Manage your shipping for Golden Week rush in 2024

The one or even two months leading up to China's Golden Week usually are the peak season for international shipping, especially for the retail and lifestyle companies, who is gearing up for the holiday season and Christmas. Similar with Chinese New Year, the Golden Week holiday impacts the global supply chain as production grinds to a halt and demand surges. This year though may be even more challenging due to unusual shipping market.

When is the Golden Week 2024?

People celebrate National Day on October 1st, but the Chinese Golden Week's exact start and end dates vary yearly.

The Golden Week in 2024 falls between October 1st and 7th.

During the holiday, factories and offices shut down across the nation. However, the ports and customs departments remained operational.

Understanding the Pre-Golden Week Rush

A pre-Golden Week volume surge can be seen each year three or four weeks prior to the public holiday.

Because of the closedown during the Golden Week holiday, manufacturers must fulfill the customers’ demands to speed up productivity and ship them out of China ahead of the week-long break. It means that the shippers must plan it in advance to make sure enough lead time.

Along with the volume surges, the higher demand for transportation put more pressure on the logistics service, including the domestic and international transportation.

We would expect that this activity eats into available freight space while driving up rates for both ocean and air shipping. Still more, overload can slow down operations and cause delays.

Being proactive in navigating the challenges

A proactive approach is the best way to avoid rising rates, tight capacity, and delays due to the Golden Week. Shippers are encouraged to book in advance to secure the necessary space and book early, at least 3-4 weeks in advance.

Even so, you never know what kind of obstacles you can encounter during the rush of peak season. When sudden issues or opportunities arise, be free to contact with us to get assistance. As your experienced and reliable logistics partner with flexibility, we are designed to add resilience to your supply chain and help mitigate your shipping risks.

Knut Sollund

Knut Sollund

CEO – Chief Executive Officer