Dalian (Dayaowan)
North-east China's battery gateway at Dayaowan, with a small but growing lithium export flow, a local MSA that has named misdeclaration as its main problem, and both winter ice and spring fog.
Europe · sea freight from Dalian
Shipping from Dalian to Antwerp
Dalian to Antwerp
Yellow Sea · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Strait of Gibraltar · English Channel
- DalianChina origin
- Yellow Sea
- Taiwan Strait
- Malacca Strait
- Indian Ocean
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- Suez Canal
- Strait of Gibraltar
- English Channel
- AntwerpBelgium
Lithium batteries for Antwerp go from Liaoning through Dalian's Dayaowan terminals. On the way they face a lane whose routing, Suez or Cape of Good Hope, is decided service by service, and they arrive at a Scheldt port that validates each dangerous-goods entry against its own IMDG register.
Belgium expects the importer to be covered by Bebat or an approved individual plan. This page sets out 5 points specific to this route, how Anxin handles each one and which documents to prepare.
What we need to start
- Dalian Dayaowan export
- Winter ice & spring fog
- Bebat membership
- Language set for Belgian inserts
- Consignee EORI
Route profile
What sets Dalian → Antwerp apart
Asia – North & Atlantic Europe
The map shows the Suez corridor, but in September 2026 most Asia–North Europe capacity still sails round the Cape of Good Hope.
Where this route gets difficult
What to watch between Dalian and Antwerp: 5 points
They run from the Dalian terminal through the voyage to Antwerp and the Belgium import file.
- Origin port
Ice in the northern Yellow Sea from January
Sea ice forms every winter in the Bohai Sea and northern Yellow Sea. In winter 2021/22 China's marine forecast centre expected floating ice about 15 nautical miles out in the northern Yellow Sea, where Dalian's Dayaowan lies, and about 60 in Liaodong Bay, peaking from mid-January to mid-February.
What Anxin does: For January–February sailings from Dalian we allow extra time between stuffing and the DG cut-off and reconfirm the vessel schedule the week before loading.
- Sea corridor
Drawn via Suez, sailed mostly via the Cape
The map on this page shows the corridor through Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez, but Sea-Intelligence figures for September 2026 put Red Sea routing on the Asia–Europe head-haul at 13–25%, with 27% for North Europe services and 57% for the Mediterranean. The service that calls at Antwerp decides between Suez and the Cape of Good Hope, and with it the distance, the waters and the possible transhipment ports.
What Anxin does: We ask the carrier to state the routing and any transhipment port on the booking confirmation, and we quote the two routings separately when both are on offer rather than mixing them.
- Destination port
IFTDGN message to the Harbour Master 24 hours out
At Antwerp-Bruges the agent or forwarder sends the dangerous goods as an electronic IFTDGN message to the Harbour Master's Office at least 24 hours before the ship arrives. The port's IMDG register is there to validate UN numbers and shipping names, so an entry that does not match the IMDG Code is caught before berthing.
What Anxin does: We check the UN number and proper shipping name on the booking against the IMDG Code before the Dalian cut-off, so the data that end up in the Antwerp message are consistent.
- Import country
CE marking and a declaration of conformity in the right language
The importer in Belgium carries the check: CE marking on the battery and an EU declaration of conformity, translated into the language Belgium asks for, have both been required since 18 August 2024 for batteries entering the EU market.
What Anxin does: We ask the manufacturer in China for the declaration of conformity and a photo of the CE marking on the battery or its packaging before loading, and pass them to the Belgium importer. We check that the documents exist and match the goods; we do not assess conformity.
- Import country
Mercury, cadmium and lead limits in portable batteries
Annex I of the Battery Regulation caps mercury at 0.0005 %, cadmium at 0.002 % and lead at 0.01 % by weight in portable batteries, and the lead limit has applied since 18 August 2024. Market surveillance in Belgium can ask the importer to show that the goods meet these limits.
What Anxin does: We ask the manufacturer for its substance declaration or test report reference and file it with the shipping documents for the Belgium importer; we do not test batteries.
Documents & compliance
What to have ready: Dalian to Antwerp
Anxin reviews documents supplied by the shipper, manufacturer and importer; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.
In Dalian, before the box is loaded
- EU declaration of conformity and CE marking photo from the manufacturer
- Importer name, trade name and postal address printed on battery or packaging
- Annex V safety documentation confirmed for stationary storage systems
- Substance declaration covering mercury, cadmium and lead limits
- Safety data sheet and dangerous goods safe-carriage declaration for the MSA cargo report
For the carrier and the voyage
- Routing (Suez or Cape of Good Hope) and any transhipment port stated on the booking confirmation
- Dangerous goods declaration with UN number (3480 / 3481 / 3090 / 3091), proper shipping name and packing instruction (P903, or P908/P911 for damaged)
- Lithium battery mark (SP188 cargo) or class 9 labels and placards
For the importer in Belgium
- Bebat membership (or approved individual plan) of the Belgian producer
- Label and QR-code status against the August 2026 and February 2027 dates
Before you book
Match the details first
We line up UN numbers, model names and package counts across the Dalian filings, the booking with the carrier and the documents for Belgium before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Antwerp.
Carriers we book with
Our booking panel; availability on this lane and acceptance of the declared UN numbers are confirmed for each booking. It does not mean that a listed carrier runs a direct service on this route. Carrier choice depends on the trade lane, cargo classification and each carrier's dangerous-goods acceptance at booking. The final carrier is confirmed on the booking.
Risk & mitigation
Risk table for Dalian → Antwerp
| Risk | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice delays berthing in mid-winter | Northern Yellow Sea, Jan–Feb | Extra time before cut-off; schedule reconfirmed | Carrier, monitored by Anxin |
| Service switches between Suez and Cape routing | Main voyage | Routing written on the booking; quotes kept separate per routing; packing assumes the longer voyage | Carrier, tracked by Anxin |
| Dangerous goods message late or inconsistent | Antwerp Harbour Master's Office | DG data verified at booking | Agent / carrier |
| Declaration of conformity missing or not in the required language | Importer in Belgium | Declaration and CE photo collected before loading | Manufacturer / importer |
Questions
Common questions on the Dalian → Antwerp route
Usually by joining Bebat through MyBebat. An individual plan needs approval from the regional authority and financial security, and sellers without a Belgian presence must appoint an authorised representative.
It depends on the service. In September 2026 most Asia–North Europe capacity still sailed round the Cape of Good Hope; Sea-Intelligence put the Red Sea share for North Europe vessels at 27%. We ask the carrier to confirm the routing on the booking and quote each routing separately.
Sea ice forms every winter in the northern Yellow Sea; in 2021/22 it was forecast to reach about 15 nautical miles out there, peaking mid-January to mid-February. We plan extra time for those weeks.
References
Regulations and port sources cited
- Batteries: obligations for enterprises (FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries (ELI) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (Official Journal PDF) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
- Aangifte gevaarlijke en verontreinigende goederen (Port of Antwerp-Bruges)
- Consult IMDG register (Port of Antwerp-Bruges)
- Sea ice arrives: what are the impacts? (Bohai and northern Yellow Sea, winter 2021/22) (China Meteorological Administration (from China Natural Resources News))
Next step
From enquiry to import
- 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
- 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
- 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
- 4HandoverAt Dalian
- 5ImportClearance at Antwerp
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Dalian → Antwerp before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
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