The global sea freight market continues to adjust to shifting demand and capacity changes. Carriers are maintaining capacity withdrawals during and beyond the Golden Week holiday period, with a number of blank sailings announced.
Golden Week Impact
Golden Week, from 1 to 7 October, is known to have a significant impact on global supply chains originating in China as commerce slows during this period. During this time, factories close, production pauses and port and customs operations are limited, so most export activity stops until operations resume on 8 October. This creates additional pressure and drives a rush of shipments into the UK and Europe to meet retailers’ demands for Christmas goods. The combination of increased demand with the Golden Week shutdown creates capacity challenges for the movement of goods.
Blank Sailings Continue
In the run-up to the holiday, there is pressure to complete production and get cargo shipped, tightening available space. During Golden Week and the period immediately after, export volumes fall sharply as factories are closed and production pauses. To manage this capacity shift, carriers have announced blank sailings during the holiday period, with further cancellations scheduled in the two weeks following when there is less cargo to move. These cuts form part of wider capacity management by carriers to keep supply in line with the seasonal slowdown.
Further last-minute blank sailings remain possible, which could cause short-notice schedule changes and some supply chain disruption. We will continue to monitor carrier announcements and update you on any changes that may affect your shipments.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your shipment, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 01376 533039 or email [email protected].
