2026 · IMPORTER PLANNING
Factory holidays.
Cargo cutoffs.
Check factory closures, port slowdowns and recommended handoff dates. Choose your region, freight mode and cargo-ready date to see the next risk window.
Shipment cutoff planner
Choose an origin, freight mode and cargo-ready date. The planner flags the next holiday risk window and the recommended handoff date.
| Region | Holiday / slowdown | Official date | Freight risk window | Ocean cutoff | Air cutoff | Express cutoff | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle East | Eid al-Adha financial institution closure |
May 24-28, 2026 | May 20-Jun 1 | May 5 | May 18 | May 20 | Expect payment, banking and booking desk slowdowns before and after Eid. |
| United States | Memorial Day |
May 25, 2026 | May 22-26 | May 1 | May 15 | May 19 | Confirm terminal gates, trucking dispatch and receiving appointments. |
| China | Dragon Boat Festival |
Jun 19-21, 2026 | Jun 10-24 | Jun 5 | Jun 12 | Jun 15 | Short closure, but customs and pickup slots can compress the week before. |
| United States | Independence Day observed |
Jul 3, 2026 | Jul 1-6 | Jun 12 | Jun 24 | Jun 29 | July 4 falls on Saturday; many federal closures observe Friday, July 3. |
| United States | Labor Day |
Sep 7, 2026 | Sep 3-9 | Aug 14 | Aug 27 | Sep 1 | End-of-summer port, drayage and warehouse capacity can tighten. |
| Korea | Chuseok |
Sep 24-26, 2026 | Sep 14-30 | Sep 4 | Sep 16 | Sep 18 | Book Korea-origin DDP and beauty shipments before domestic travel demand spikes. |
| China | Mid-Autumn Festival |
Sep 25-27, 2026 | Sep 14-29 | Sep 4 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Watch this together with Chuseok and the National Day buildup. |
| China | National Day Golden Week |
Oct 1-7, 2026 | Sep 14-Oct 12 | Sep 4 | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Factories, warehouses, trucking and customs queues all compress before Golden Week. |
| United States | Thanksgiving |
Nov 26, 2026 | Nov 20-Dec 1 | Oct 30 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Plan around warehouse receiving pauses, retail peak and reduced trucking coverage. |
| United States | Christmas and New Year peak |
Dec 25, 2026-Jan 1, 2027 | Dec 14-Jan 5 | Nov 20 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | For Amazon FBA, treat mid-December as a receiving and appointment risk window. |
| China | 2027 Lunar New Year forecast |
Feb 6, 2027 forecast; official China holiday TBA | Jan 16-Feb 22 | Jan 8 | Jan 25 | Jan 29 | Ask suppliers for post-holiday restart dates before placing January POs. |
This calendar retains its published 2026 dates and planning cutoffs. Recommended handoff dates are ForwarderOne planning rules, not confirmed carrier or terminal deadlines.
PRACTICAL CUTOFF RULES
Delays start before
the official holiday.
Factories stop accepting new work, truckers fill up, export documents wait in queues and container space becomes harder to reserve.
Ocean freight
For China or Korea to U.S. lanes, reserve space 3–4 weeks before major holidays and have cargo ready at least 2–3 weeks before the closure starts.
Ocean shippingAir freight
Air can recover faster, but rate spikes and limited uplift often begin 7–14 days before the holiday. Confirm cartons, labels and export docs early.
Air freightExpress courier
Courier is useful for small urgent replenishment, but factory pickup and customs handoff can still fail if cargo is not packed before the local break.
Express courierHIGH-IMPACT WINDOWS
The 2026
planning calendar.
Keep the shipment deadline in view, from supplier packing to warehouse receiving.
Dragon Boat creates a short China pickup squeeze.
It is not as disruptive as Lunar New Year or Golden Week, but short-week handoffs can miss cutoff when suppliers wait until the last week to pack.
Korea Chuseok and China Mid-Autumn overlap.
This is the main late-summer risk for Korea-origin beauty shipments, mixed China/Korea replenishment plans and Amazon sellers trying to stock before Q4.
China Golden Week creates a major factory shutdown window.
Book ocean space before September 4 for higher-confidence sailings. Use air freight only when carton data, labels and customs documents are already clean.
U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas affect receiving more than production.
Holiday delivery success depends on terminal appointments, drayage, Amazon receiving windows and warehouse staffing after the vessel or flight arrives.
BEFORE THE HOLIDAY
Holiday shipping questions.
When should I book before China Golden Week?
For ocean or DDP sea from China to the United States, book by early September and have cargo ready before September 4 when possible. Air freight should be booked before September 18 for better capacity and rate control.
Does a three-day holiday really affect shipping?
Yes, when the closure lands near a weekend or several countries close at the same time. Trucking, customs, banking and warehouse teams can all compress work into fewer business days.
Are the cargo cutoffs official carrier deadlines?
No. The cutoffs are ForwarderOne planning rules for importers. Carrier, terminal and airline deadlines vary by lane, service level and cargo readiness.
How should Amazon FBA sellers use this calendar?
Start with the delivery target, then work backward through Amazon receiving, destination trucking, customs, vessel or flight transit, export cutoff, supplier packing and label confirmation.
SOURCES & ASSUMPTIONS
Check the date.
Confirm the handoff.
Official holiday schedules are combined with ForwarderOne operational planning rules. Always confirm carrier cutoffs, port notices, local supplier restart dates and Amazon appointment windows before booking.
- China holiday dates: General Office of the State Council public holiday notice.
- Korea holiday dates: Korea Customs Service FTA Portal national holidays.
- Saudi/Eid financial closure dates: Saudi Central Bank holiday schedule.
- U.S. federal holiday dates: U.S. Office of Personnel Management federal holidays.
- 2027 Lunar New Year date reference: timeanddate.com Spring Festival calendar.
For shipment planning, compare freight cost estimates with the cutoff window and your Amazon FBA receiving requirements.
PLAN THE NEXT STEP
Need a cutoff
for your shipment?
Share supplier location, destination warehouse and freight mode. We’ll check the handoff plan and receiving requirements.