As China’s National Day Golden Week approaches, carriers are beginning to adjust their transpacific schedules. On August 28, Maersk announced changes to its Asia–North America sailing schedule during the October holiday period, affecting services to the U.S. West Coast and U.S. East Coast as well as return sailings. Hapag-Lloyd subsequently announced adjustments to its WC2, US2, and AA7 services. Both carriers have blanked selected sailings, but neither has suspended its transpacific services entirely.

Key Highlights 

• Maersk services: Selected TP8 and TP12 sailings have been cancelled, affecting both the U.S. West Coast and U.S. East Coast. 

• Hapag-Lloyd services: Selected WC2, US2, and AA7 sailings have been adjusted, with alternative coverage arranged. 

• Further schedule changes: Transpacific schedules may undergo further adjustments around the National Day Golden Week, and booked shipments should be reconfirmed in advance.

Which Maersk Sailings Are Affected?

According to Maersk, sailing 640E on the Asia–U.S. West Coast TP8 service has been cancelled. The blank sailing will begin at Busan, where the original ETD was October 9. In the U.S. West Coast–Asia direction, sailing 644W on the TP8 service has also been cancelled. The blank sailing will begin at Los Angeles, where the original ETD was November 1.

On the Asia–U.S. East Coast TP12 service, sailing 641E has been cancelled. The blank sailing will begin at Ningbo, where the original ETD was October 9. In the U.S. East Coast–Asia direction, sailing 647W on the TP12 service has also been cancelled. The blank sailing will begin at Newark, where the original ETD was November 18.

In total, Maersk’s adjustments affect four transpacific sailings. Cargo scheduled to depart in early October or around the Golden Week period may be affected. Maersk also said it would add calls at selected ports on alternative sailings to maintain service coverage.

Which Hapag-Lloyd Sailings Have Been Cancelled?

Hapag-Lloyd’s adjustments also affect several transpacific services. On the WC2 service, the Guthorm Maersk 640E sailing has been cancelled. The vessel was originally scheduled to depart Shanghai on October 10, while the existing Xingang–Qingdao–Busan rotation on the WC2 service will remain in place.

On the Asia–U.S. East Coast trade, the Navios Unison 641E sailing on the US2 service has been cancelled. It was originally scheduled to depart Ningbo on October 7. Hapag-Lloyd will provide alternative coverage through the US1 service. Maersk Shams is scheduled to depart Haiphong, Vietnam, on October 2 and will make an additional call at the Port of Norfolk in the United States. The Wan Hai A13 sailing on the AA7 service has also been cancelled. It was originally scheduled to depart Ningbo on October 1.

The arrangements announced by the two carriers do not represent a complete suspension of transpacific services. Instead, capacity and port coverage during the National Day Golden Week are being reallocated through selected blank sailings, the retention of other services, and additional calls on alternative sailings.

Why Are Sailings Blanked Around the National Day Golden Week?

China’s National Day Golden Week is an important seasonal period for the Asian export shipping market. During the holiday, operations at some factories, warehouses, and other parts of the logistics chain slow down. Export volumes and port productivity may also fluctuate temporarily, prompting carriers to adjust their service networks in advance based on expected cargo volumes.

The blank sailings announced by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd indicate that the carriers are adjusting capacity in advance to match expected demand around the Golden Week period. However, the changes announced so far are limited to selected sailings and do not represent a general reduction in capacity on Asia–U.S. services.

Pre-holiday shipping demand will remain an important factor to monitor. If cargo volumes remain high before the holiday, demand on certain services may remain strong. If demand weakens, other carriers may also make further sailing adjustments.

What Should Companies Monitor Following the Schedule Adjustments?

Companies arranging shipments to the United States in the coming weeks, particularly those with existing bookings, should confirm the vessel and voyage details, ETD, applicable cut-off times, ports of call, and whether the cargo has been transferred to an alternative sailing. For cargo scheduled to depart in early October or around China’s National Day Golden Week, companies should also allow for possible schedule changes and check the latest carrier notices promptly.

The adjustments announced by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd currently apply only to selected sailings. As China’s National Day Golden Week approaches, it remains important to monitor whether other carriers introduce similar changes and how alternative sailings and actual capacity develop.

Sources and Disclaimer

Sources include official announcements from Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd and other publicly available industry information. This article is provided solely for reference by the international logistics and freight forwarding industry. Specific sailing schedules remain subject to the latest carrier notices.