Golden Week starts this Thursday!

In 2026, China’s National Day holiday, known as Golden Week, will run from Thursday 1 October to Wednesday 7 October. Are you ready?

During this period, many factories, offices and logistics providers reduce operations or close temporarily, affecting production schedules, cargo collection and transport availability.

However, European companies expecting goods from China should be aware that the effects on supply chains begin before the official holiday. Many Chinese exporters complete production and finalise their shipments at the same time, before Golden Week begins. This concentration of volumes causes logistics congestion even before the start of the holiday.

Only 3 working days between two holidays

This year’s calendar creates an exceptionally short working period before the National Day holiday. Only three working days—28, 29 and 30 September—separate the end of the Mid-Autumn Festival from the beginning of Golden Week. Logistics teams therefore have very little time to organise orders, book transport and prepare export documentation.

How will your supply chain be affected?

Golden Week does not mean that every airport or customs operation in China stops completely. However, it reduces the flexibility of logistics operations:

• Factory closures and reduced availability of warehouses, road transport providers and customs brokers.
• Collections, cargo availability and the preparation of export documentation become more difficult to organise.
• Fewer flights to Europe as capacity is prioritised for domestic routes within China and Asia.
• Delays continuing beyond 7 October due to freight accumulated at airports.

These constraints also make it more difficult to amend the original transport plan at short notice.

Other key dates in Asia in October 2026

If your supply chain relies on partners in Asia, here are the main dates to be aware of in October 2026, listed by country:

Checklist for procurement managers

How can you limit logistics delays from today?

• Confirm the cargo availability date with your supplier.
• Cross-check the opening hours of the factory, the customs broker responsible for export formalities and the transport provider.
• Ask which contacts will be available during the three working days between the two holiday periods.
• Obtain the commercial invoice, packing list and export documentation without delay so that they can be checked before the holiday.
• Does this supplier regularly make the same mistakes, such as incorrect part numbers, unconfirmed orders or errors in documentation or Incoterms? If so, start the process twice as early.

Can your shipment not wait?

Production emergencies, AOG freight or critical parts sometimes need to be transported even when conventional transport networks are saturated. For these high-stakes shipments, premium air freight solutions offer greater flexibility, control and priority than conventional air freight or standard express services.

Air Time Critical® remains available seven days a week throughout Golden Week to secure your urgent supplies:

• Next Flight Out / priority air freight for parcels, crates and pallets. This premium solution provides priority access to the first available flights.
• On Board Courier (OBC) for small critical parts and extremely urgent parcels. A dedicated air courier accompanies your shipment on board a commercial flight and hand-delivers it at destination.

Alternative airports and routes may also be considered when the usual departure airport or local transport network is affected. Golden Week is a predictable annual event, but the short working period preceding the holiday makes the end of September particularly sensitive in 2026.

For your time-critical shipments during Golden Week, contact our team, available 24/7:

📞 +32 2 888 84 16 (EN/FR)

National Day Golden Week 2026

Golden week is 7-day holiday which begins with China’s National Day on the 1st of October and lasting until the 7th of October. It commemorates the founding of People’s Republic of China in 1949. The festivities include fireworks, concerts, sports events and military parades.