Chinese holidays that disrupt shipping from China every year

The most disruptive shipping periods from China are also the most predictable. If you ship goods from China, building these periods into your planning can help you reduce avoidable delays.

Chinese holidays disrupt shipping from China every year, especially around Chinese New Year, Labour Day, and Golden Week.

For Canadian importers, that matters, especially because China is one of Canada’s biggest sources of imported goods.

During holiday periods, factories may close or run at reduced capacity, suppliers may rush to complete orders, and freight demand can build around tighter shipping windows. The result is added pressure on production schedules, booking availability, cargo cutoffs, and shipment timing.

In this article, we look at the Chinese holidays that disrupt shipping from China to Canada and share five practical tips to help you plan around them.

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the most disruptive holiday period in the Chinese shipping calendar. It falls in late January or February, and while the official public holiday lasts about a week, the impact on production and shipping often lasts much longer.

Factories may begin slowing output in the weeks before the holiday as workers leave early and suppliers rush to complete orders before shutdowns begin. After the break, many factories don’t return to normal production levels immediately, which results in longer disruptions well beyond the holiday.

For Canadian importers, this can translate into shorter booking cutoffs, rising freight demand before the break, and tighter capacity after the holidays.

Labour Day Week

Starting May 1, China observes Labour Day, and depending on the official holiday calendar, the break can last up to five days. Compared with Chinese New Year, the disruption is shorter and more contained, as most factories return to normal operations soon after the holiday ends.

For Canadian importers, the impact is generally more moderate, especially with China’s make-up workday system. To create longer consecutive holiday breaks, the government may designate certain Saturdays and Sundays as official working days before or after the holiday to offset the long break.

Golden Week

Golden Week begins with China’s National Day on October 1 and typically runs for about seven days. Although the fixed date makes it easier to anticipate than Chinese New Year, it still creates significant shipping pressure each year.

Before the holiday, exporters rush to move cargo, which can tighten capacity and add pressure at ports. After the break, factories and logistics providers may need time to work through backlogs before normal flow resumes.

For Canadian importers, the timing adds pressure because Golden Week falls during peak shipping season, when many North American businesses are moving goods ahead of the holiday period. That overlap can make delays more significant.

Other Chinese holidays

Three additional holidays cause smaller disruptions but can still affect shipping schedules:

• Mid-Autumn Festival falls in September or early October and usually brings about three days of closures. It can overlap with Golden Week in some years to extend the shutdown.
• Dragon Boat Festival takes place in late May or June and lasts a few days. Impact on shipping is usually limited, but production schedules can shift.
• Qingming (Tomb Sweeping Day) falls in early April and runs for around three days.

5 tips to stay ahead of shipping schedules

Here are five practical tips to help you plan around Chinese holidays and reduce the effect on your business:

1. Map holiday periods into your shipping calendar

Account for the production slowdown before the break, the closure period itself, and the restart period afterward. Add buffer time, especially around Chinese New Year and Golden Week.

2. Confirm supplier production schedules early

Check when production will stop, when it will resume, and whether staffing will be reduced around the holiday. This gives you a clearer view of timing risk.

3. Book freight as early as possible

Capacity can tighten quickly before major holidays. Early booking helps reduce the risk of missed cutoffs and delayed departures.

4. Align Q4 planning with Canadian retail cycles

Golden Week sits in the middle of peak season. Work backward from Black Friday, Christmas, and Boxing Day deadlines to determine the latest possible order and shipping dates.

5. Work closely with your freight forwarder

Holiday delays can affect pickup timing, booking windows, documents, and sailing schedules. Yourfreight forwarder can help you adjust to changing timelines.

How we can help

At Cole International, we offer trade consulting and freight forwarding services to help Canadian businesses plan ahead for Chinese holiday shipping disruptions and reduce avoidable delays.

Reach out to one of our trade professionals to review your shipping schedule and identify holiday-related risks in your supply chain.

Freight forwarding. It's what we do.