Dear Customer,
China’s Golden Week holiday is approaching, with businesses and factories across China preparing for the annual National Day holiday.
Golden Week 2026: Thursday 1 October – Wednesday 7 October
Factories, suppliers and many businesses across China will be closed during this period, with normal operations generally resuming from Thursday 8 October. Some factories may extend their closure period, so we recommend confirming individual shutdown dates directly with your suppliers.
The lead-up to Golden Week is traditionally one of the busiest periods for freight out of China, as exporters work to move cargo before factories close. This can place additional pressure on vessel space, equipment availability and transport, with delays often continuing after the holiday as operations resume and backlogs are cleared.
With the current pressure already being experienced across parts of China’s freight network, we recommend planning upcoming shipments as early as possible.
What to expect:
- Factory and supplier closures from 1–7 October
- Increased demand for vessel and airfreight space prior to the holiday
- Tighter equipment and container availability
- Potential changes to vessel schedules and port calls
- Congestion and shipment backlogs following Golden Week
- Longer lead times while factories, ports and freight networks return to normal operations
If you have orders currently in production or shipments planned for late September or early October, please speak with your Southern Cross Cargo representative as soon as possible so we can review available options and help minimise potential delays.
We also recommend checking your supplier’s individual Golden Week closure dates, particularly if you have production or cargo due to be completed in late September.
Our team will continue to monitor freight conditions and keep customers informed of any significant changes.
Kind Regards,
Greg McKillop