Carriers adjust capacity ahead of Golden Week

Major container carriers are preparing to reduce capacity around China’s Golden Week holiday, with blank sailings planned across both Asia–Europe and Transpacific services.

The adjustments are a familiar part of the container shipping calendar. China’s National Day holiday runs from 1 to 7 October this year, traditionally bringing lower factory activity and reduced export volumes.

However, this year’s sailing programmes are taking shape against different freight-rate conditions across the major East–West trades. Recent data show stronger pricing signals on the Transpacific, while Asia–Europe rates continue to weaken.