At the start of next month is the Golden Week holiday, spanning from October 1st to the 7th. This week-long celebration, marking the founding of the People’s Republic of China, not only sees millions of local citizens traveling domestically and abroad but also impacts to the global shipping and logistics industry.
With this holiday, all Chinese factories close during this week-long event. Often times blank sailings happen, a pre-golden week rush occurs, delays, and reduced port activity can take place. As shipper, it’s important to have these dates on your calendar and work to get your shipments booked.
In this blog, we’ll explore how this holiday influences shipping schedules, affects logistics operations, and what businesses can do to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by this peak period.
Preparing for the Holiday
To effectively prepare for the upcoming holiday, shippers should consider the following strategies:
Place bookings in advance: Since factories will be closed during this time, it will likely rush the loading of orders in the weekend leading up to the holiday. Ideally shippers will want to get shipments booked sooner than later. This will help secure capacity and minimize the risk of future delays caused by the holiday shutdown.
Review shipping schedules/plans: Check with your forwarder for any changes or potential disruptions to your shipments shipping schedule during and after Golden Week. This includes tracking changes in transit times, potential delays, and any other relevant information that could affect your shipments.
Coordinate with suppliers/partners: Communicate with your suppliers/manufacturers to understand their holiday schedules and what, if any, impact on production. This helps align your logistics plan with their availability and production timelines.
Be flexible/acknowledge potential delays: Understand that things, like delays, can happen. Since factories will be closed and operations may resume slowly, plan for extended lead times and adjust expectations accordingly. This is when communication between you and your forwarder is important.
After Golden Week concludes, shippers can expect: time for backlogs to clear and a return to normal processing speeds, surge in shipping activity, potential for delays, and the potential of rate changes.
Looking Ahead
As Golden Week approaches, it’s crucial for businesses to anticipate and adapt to the effects of this holiday. With factories shutting down, increased pre-holiday rush, and potential disruptions in shipping schedules, careful planning becomes essential. Ensuring shipments are booked well before the cutoff can help mitigate the impact of reduced capacity and potential delays.
When the holiday concludes, expect slower processing times and potential backlogs as workers return and catch up with orders. This in turn may create a surge in shipping activity as the industry works through backlogs. By planning ahead, businesses can navigate the complexities of Golden Week, turning potential challenges into opportunities for smoother logistics and operations.
Do you have any upcoming shipments you need booked before this holiday begins?
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