October 1st marks the start of Golden Weekin China. Seven days of national holidays—and one of the country's most significant vacation periods. While it may sound like a standard week off, for international supply chains, it is much more. Factories operate at reduced capacity or close entirely, employees travel, logistics processes are scaled back, and shipping lines adjust their schedules. At the same time, many companies scramble to get their goods moving before the holidays begin.

The result: A one-week pause in China can impact supply chains in Europe for weeks to come. But why is that?

What is Golden Week?

The official holiday period runs until October 7th. In return, October 10th is designated as a working day. For many, this means vacation and travel. For companies with supply chains in China, it primarily means that production and logistics planning must be adjusted around this week. Maersk currently advises that reduced staffing and factory closures should be expected during Golden Week, which can affect production schedules and logistics processes.

However, it is not the case that all of China comes to a complete standstill for seven days.

Ports and parts of the logistics infrastructure may continue to operate. The availability of specific factories, warehouses, freight forwarders, or service providers varies. Therefore, it is crucial for transport planning to examine the specific supply chain.

The real problem begins before the holiday

The effects of Golden Week do not start on October 1st. Many companies try to complete production and exports before the holidays. Goods need to be finished, transported to the port, and ideally loaded onto a ship. This can lead to a surge in transport volume just before the holidays.

For shippers, this means: those who plan their transport too tightly have less room for error if production, lead times, or vessel departures do not go as planned. And a missed ship cannot be made up for if the factory is closed for a week afterward.

What happens to the ships?

Shipping lines also plan their networks around Golden Week. The reason is simple: if less cargo is produced and exported during and immediately after the holidays, the expected demand for shipping space changes. Carriers can respond by removing individual sailings from their schedules. This is known as a blank sailing.

For Golden Week 2026, for example, Maersk has announced such adjustments on several routes between the Far East and Europe. Affected services include AE15, AE12, and AE1. Hapag-Lloyd is also providing information on cancelled sailings and alternative connections. For instance, a departure from Shanghai scheduled for October 10th on the NE2 service has been cancelled; the carrier is offering other services and departure dates as alternatives.

This shows that Golden Week changes not only production but also the transport network that follows.

What exactly is a blank sailing?

Simply put, a blank sailing means that a scheduled departure does not take place. This can take various forms, such as a complete voyage cancellation or an adjustment to the schedule. For shippers, the practical consequence is what matters most: cargo that was intended for that route requires an alternative.

This could mean a different departure, a different service, or a later shipment. Therefore, a blank sailing does not automatically mean a container will sit idle for weeks. However, it can reduce available options and lead to longer transit times.

Why does Europe feel the effects of Golden Week later?

There are numerous steps between a factory in China and a warehouse in Germany: Production → pre-carriage → export terminal → ocean freight → potential transshipment → European port → hinterland transport → recipient.

Even if a production stoppage lasts only a few days, its impact ripples through the entire chain. There is an additional effect: production resumes after the holidays. Goods that were not produced or shipped during Golden Week then enter the supply chain on top of the regularly scheduled volumes.

This can lead to a renewed concentration of transport volumes. While Golden Week officially ends on October 7, its impact on supply chains does not necessarily disappear by October 8.

A holiday changes supply and demand

For shipping lines, the challenge lies in adjusting their capacity to match expected cargo flows. After all, a container ship does not simply sail from China to Europe and return empty. It is part of a complex network of schedules, port calls, container movements, and connecting services.

If a sailing is cancelled, it doesn't just change the situation at a Chinese port. Container and vessel capacity are subsequently missing or shifted elsewhere in the network. This is precisely why regional events can have consequences far beyond the region in question.

What does this mean for containers?

A container loaded in time before the holidays is, for the moment, on its way. For other shipments, the situation can be more complicated. Perhaps production is only completed after the holidays. Perhaps the originally planned sailing is cancelled. Or an alternative connection may have a different transit time or routing.

Therefore, when dealing with shipments around Golden Week, one should not rely solely on a general schedule. Key factors include the actual production readiness of the goods, lead time to the port, cut-off times, the booked connection, and potential schedule changes by the shipping line.

Plan early instead of reacting later

Holidays like Golden Week are not unexpected events. This is a major difference compared to strikes, severe weather, or sudden port closures. The timeframe is known well in advance, allowing at least some of the risk to be factored into plans. Given the current pressures on Asia-Europe trade, Maersk recommends, among other things, booking transport as early as possible and providing precise cargo forecasts and documentation.

For shippers, this means clarifying the following with suppliers and logistics partners well in advance: When will the goods actually be ready? When does the supplier resume work? Which sailing is scheduled? Is there a blank sailing? What are the alternatives if the planned connection is cancelled? And how much of a buffer can your supply chain handle?

Golden Week is not Chinese New Year

Both holiday periods are often mentioned in the same breath in logistics, but their impacts are not necessarily identical. The Chinese New Year is usually associated with a particularly long holiday and travel period and can affect production processes over a longer timeframe. The National Day Golden Week in October officially lasts seven days in 2026.

Nevertheless, it remains relevant for logistics—especially because production, demand, and shipping schedules all shift around a relatively short period.