When a country enters a long public holiday, importers and exporters often wonder:

“Does logistics stop during the holiday?”

→ The short answer is no — but not everything operates as usual.

International shipping does not simply stop because of national holidays. Ships may continue to arrive and depart, ports may maintain essential operations, and customs clearance may still be available. However, terminal schedules, trucking, warehouses, customs procedures, and other related services can be reduced or temporarily suspended.

The important thing to remember is that the level of service during a holiday varies by country, port, terminal, and service provider.

To see how this works in practice, let’s use South Korea and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) as an example. We will mainly refer to the 2026 Chuseok holiday period.

Customs Clearance: Does It Continue During a Holiday?

Customs operations do not necessarily stop completely during public holidays, especially at major ports and airports handling international cargo.

South Korea provides a good example.

For the 2026 Chuseok holiday, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) operated special customs clearance teams at 34 customs offices nationwide from September 7 to September 27.

Customs support was available 24 hours a day, including public holidays and nighttime hours, mainly to support the clearance of holiday-related goods and urgently required raw materials.

But this does not mean that every shipment can automatically be cleared 24/7.

Depending on the shipment and the timing, advance arrangements may be required for customs services outside normal working hours.

Also, if the shipment requires physical inspection, additional documents, quarantine, certification, or approval from another government agency, the process can still take longer.

So, the simple answer is:

Customs may continue operating during a holiday, but you should not assume that your shipment will be cleared as quickly as on a normal working day.

Advance preparation is always important.

Do Ports Continue Operating?

Major international ports do not normally shut down completely just because of a national holiday.

International vessels are still sailing according to their schedules, so certain port services need to continue as well.

During the 2026 Chuseok period, for example, Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries introduced special port operation measures for major ports.

PORT-MIS, Korea’s Port Management Information System, continued normal operation, and essential services for vessel arrivals and departures, including pilotage and tugboat services, were maintained.

This gives us an important point to remember:

A national holiday does not necessarily mean that vessel and port operations stop.

Your vessel may still arrive, berth, and start cargo operations even though many offices and businesses on land are closed.

What About Container Loading and Unloading?

This is where things can get a little more complicated.

A port being operational does not mean that every container operation is running normally.

During the 2026 Chuseok holiday period, normal cargo handling services were generally available except on Chuseok Day itself. Emergency handling could still be arranged for certain essential or urgent cargo.

But the actual schedule depended on the port and terminal.

For example, Ulsan’s container terminal was scheduled to close on Chuseok Day, while liquid cargo terminals continued operating.

This is why checking only whether the “port is open” is not enough.

You need to check the specific terminal handling your cargo.

The vessel operation, terminal operation, and container gate operation can all have different schedules.

Can Containers Be Picked Up or Delivered During a Holiday?

Possibly — but don’t assume they can.

Even if a terminal is operating, container pickup and delivery may follow a different schedule.

For example, during the 2026 Chuseok period, Yeosu and Gwangyang ports advised cargo owners and vessel operators to make arrangements with terminal operators in advance if cargo needed to be received or released during the holiday.

This brings up another important point:

A terminal being “open” does not necessarily mean your container is ready or available for pickup.

There are several things that need to line up:

  • Terminal gate operating hours
  • Customs clearance
  • Container availability
  • Truck and driver availability
  • Documentation and cargo release
  • Warehouse receiving hours

If just one of these is unavailable, the container may have to wait.

What About Trucking and Warehouses?

This is probably where holiday delays become more noticeable.

Customs and ports may continue operating, but private companies may have completely different holiday schedules.

Trucking companies, warehouses, CFS operators, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and other logistics providers may operate with fewer staff, shorter hours, or may close for part of the holiday.

For example, your vessel arrives on schedule and the container is discharged.

Everything looks fine so far.

But the consignee’s warehouse is closed for three days, or there are not enough trucks available to pick up the container.

In that case, the container has physically arrived, but the shipment is not really moving to its final destination.

This is something we often need to consider when an ETA falls right before or during a long holiday.

A Simple Example

Let’s say a container vessel arrives at the destination port during a national holiday.

The vessel arrives on schedule and the container is discharged normally.

Customs is operating, but your shipment needs some additional documents.

Meanwhile, the consignee’s warehouse is closed and truck availability is limited.

So what happens?

The container is already at the destination port, but actual delivery may have to wait until normal business operations resume.

This is why an ETA during a national holiday does not automatically mean that the vessel itself will be delayed.

The bigger issue is often what happens after the vessel arrives.

What Should You Check Before a Major Holiday?

If your shipment is expected to arrive around a major national holiday, it is a good idea to check the whole logistics process in advance:

  • Customs clearance: Will customs services be available? Is any advance arrangement required?
  • Terminal schedule: Is the terminal operating, and what are the gate hours?
  • Container availability: When will the container actually be available for pickup?
  • Trucking: Are trucks and drivers available during the holiday?
  • Warehouse: Can the consignee or warehouse receive the cargo?
  • Inspection: Does the shipment require quarantine, certification, customs inspection, or approval from another authority?
  • Free time: Could the holiday affect demurrage, detention, or terminal storage?

Major ports and terminal operators also often publish their holiday operating schedules or special operation plans on their websites in advance, so it is worth checking their official notices before your shipment arrives.

For example, the Busan Port Authority published a special port operation plan for the 2026 Chuseok holiday, providing information on port operations during the holiday period.

Reference: Busan Port Authority – Special Port Operation Plan for the 2026 Chuseok Holiday

국민소통 > 공지사항 > 소식·알림 > 2026년 추석 연휴기간 부산항 항만운영 특별대책 | 부산항만공사 홈페이지

So, Does Logistics Stop During a Holiday?

Not exactly.

Ships can still sail. Ports can still operate. Customs can still process cargo. Containers can still be discharged.

But that doesn’t mean every part of the logistics chain is working normally at the same time.

This is probably the easiest way to think about it:

Customs operating ≠ Your cargo is immediately cleared

Port operating ≠ Terminal gate is operating normally

Container discharged ≠ Container is ready for pickup

Terminal operating ≠ Trucks and warehouses are available

So, if your shipment is arriving around a major holiday, don’t just ask:

“Is the port open?”

Ask what is actually available for your shipment.

Check the vessel schedule, customs, terminal, trucking, and warehouse in advance.

A little preparation before a long holiday can save several days of delay — and sometimes unnecessary storage, demurrage, or detention costs.

Holiday operations vary by country, port, terminal, customs authority, and logistics provider. The 2026 Korean Chuseok example is used here simply to show how holiday logistics can work in practice. Always check the actual operating schedule for your shipment.