10/09/2026
The last realistic sailing for Christmas stock is closer than the calendar suggests.
Count backwards from a November shelf date. Distribution to stores takes a week or more. Receiving and putaway at the DC takes another. Customs clearance and wharf transport add days, more if anything gets inspected. Ocean transit from Asia runs two to four weeks depending on port and routing. Then add Golden Week in early October, when many factories in China shut down and bookings pile up either side of it.
Work it through honestly and mid October sailings are the last comfortable window for pre-Christmas stock, and space around Golden Week is already selling.
Carriers are managing capacity hard this peak season, with blank sailings still coming out of the Transpacific schedule. A booking made this fortnight beats a premium rate chased in October.
At Bluestar Global Logistics (BGL), our forwarding team is locking Q4 sailings with customers now, with clearance and delivery planned in the same conversation.
If Christmas stock is still sitting on a purchase order, this is the fortnight to move. 📧 [email protected]