Holiday closures in China
The national holidays in China (October 1–7) traditionally lead to reduced operations at factories, warehouses, and transport hubs. This year, the so-called “Golden Week” has coincided with a shortage of rolling stock in Russia, creating a double effect: fewer goods can be shipped, and the available wagons are already overbooked.
Queues at key border crossings
According to market estimates, average delays at border crossings now reach:
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Zabaikalsk: 10–12 days,
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Erenhot: 12–14 days,
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Alashankou/Korgos: 9–11 days.
The queues are not only the result of Chinese closures. Russian rail operators face uneven wagon distribution, and shippers are competing for limited capacity. As a result, containers accumulate at border terminals, waiting for dispatch deeper into Russia.
Impact on importers and forwarders
For freight forwarders, the delays translate into higher demurrage risks, longer delivery times, and additional costs for storage. Importers are forced to adjust supply chains, especially those working with time-sensitive cargo such as consumer electronics and automotive parts.
Some exporters from China have already begun redirecting part of their volumes to sea routes via Vladivostok and Novorossiysk, or considering combined schemes with trucking to Kazakhstan followed by rail transport.
Market outlook
Experts believe the situation will stabilize by mid-October as Chinese factories resume operations and the wagon turnover improves. However, structural bottlenecks at border points remain an unresolved issue, which means similar problems are likely to repeat during peak seasons.
How Growex helps partners
At Growex, we monitor border conditions daily and offer alternative routing solutions — from multimodal deliveries via seaports to split cargo schemes that reduce idle time. For international partners, this means more predictable transit times and the ability to plan ahead even under challenging circumstances.
