# Typhoons Cause Congestion at China's Export Ports Ahead of Golden Week **Category:** Operational Alerts | **Source:** Freightos – Global Freight Outlook September 2026 | **Published:** 2026-09-22 | **Updated:** 2026-09-27 **Tags:** China, Taifun, Shanghai, Ningbo, Golden Week, Blank Sailing, Hafenstau, Seefracht, Export, Transshipment, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Luftfracht, Digitalisierung, Zoll > Storms and port congestion collide with Golden Week. Shippers must anticipate blank sailings, transshipments, and extended transit times from China. --- Multiple typhoons have disrupted port operations in East Asia since July. Particularly in the Shanghai and Ningbo area, there have been service interruptions, delayed vessel arrivals, and backlogs. Freightos reports more than five storms and severe congestion at major Chinese container hubs. A typhoon's impact extends beyond the actual port closure. Ships wait offshore, lose their berth slots, or skip a port entirely. Containers are then shifted to later departures or transshipped via another port. This transshipment—transferring cargo to another vessel—creates additional touchpoints and potential error sources. The situation now coincides with the Golden Week holiday in early October. During China's national holidays, many factories and logistics operations run at reduced capacity. Shipping lines adjust their capacity and cancel individual sailings, known as blank sailings. When many exporters want to ship goods before the holidays simultaneously, available capacity can quickly become tight. For European and Swiss importers, it is therefore not sufficient to know only the scheduled departure date. What matters is whether the container has already been accepted at the terminal, is actually booked on the intended vessel, and whether the port call remains confirmed. Even after the Golden Week, normalcy does not return immediately. Backlogs typically require several rotation cycles before schedules stabilize again. For seasonal goods, even a one-week delay can already result in stock shortages or expensive airfreight solutions. --- Freight planners should closely track bookings with suppliers and shipping lines ahead of the Golden Week. Container gate-in, loading confirmations, and current vessel rotations should be required. For transshipments, clarify which connection has been booked. Shippers should prioritize which cargo really needs to ship out before the holiday and where later shipment is acceptable. In short: Factory holidays last one week, but the logistical aftermath can be significantly longer. --- Since July 2026, more than five typhoons have impacted major Chinese ports according to Freightos; specifically documented are Bavi (July), Dolphin (August), Saudel (late August to early September), and tropical storm Krovanh (September). Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan were among the ports temporarily disrupted. Consequences included congestion, schedule changes, and missed port calls. Carriers increased the number of cancelled sailings in September. The Golden Week in 2026 runs from October 1 to 7; the State Council has designated two substitute working days on September 20 and October 10. Factories and logistics operations work at reduced capacity during this period. Transshipments can cause additional delays and misrouting. Backlogs can remain visible for weeks after a storm. ## Related Entities ### Countries - [Switzerland](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ch) - [China](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/cn) ### Seaports - [Shanghai (CNSGH)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/shanghai-port-cnsgh) - [Ningbo (CNNBO)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/ningbo-port-cnnbo) - [Zhoushan (CN ZOS)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/zhoushan-port-cn-zos) ### Glossary - [Closing](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/closing) - [Container](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/container) - [Exporter](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/exporter) - [Port](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port) - [Importer](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/importer-2) - [Shipping company](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/shipping-company) - [Sea freight](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/sea-freight) - [Supply Chain](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/supply-chain) - [Terminal](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/terminal) - [Air Cargo](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/air-cargo) - [Transshipment](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/transshipment) - [Port Call](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-call) - [berth](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/berth) - [port operation](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-operation) - [port of call](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-of-call) - [Port Operations](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-operations) - [Port Congestion](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-congestion) - [Blank Sailing](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/blank-sailing) - [Port congestion](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-congestion-2) - [Golden Week](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/golden-week) - [Interface](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/interface) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/taifune-stauen-chinas-exporthaefen-vor-der-golden-week-20260919080800](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/taifune-stauen-chinas-exporthaefen-vor-der-golden-week-20260919080800)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/taifune-stauen-chinas-exporthaefen-vor-der-golden-week-20260919080800](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/taifune-stauen-chinas-exporthaefen-vor-der-golden-week-20260919080800)*