Asia – Mediterranean via Suez
Mediterranean services are the ones most likely to use Suez again (57% in September 2026), which puts the cargo back through Bab el-Mandeb, rated a SUBSTANTIAL threat.
Europe · sea freight from Dalian
Shipping from Dalian to Viana do Castelo
Dalian to Viana do Castelo
Yellow Sea · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Sicily Channel · Strait of Gibraltar
- DalianChina origin
- Yellow Sea
- Taiwan Strait
- Malacca Strait
- Indian Ocean
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- Suez Canal
- Sicily Channel
- Strait of Gibraltar
- Viana do CasteloPortugal
Lithium batteries for Viana do Castelo go through Dayaowan, where Liaoning's first JT/T 1543 lithium export sailed in May 2025. On the way they face a Suez corridor that Mediterranean services are using again more than any other Asia–Europe lane, and they arrive at the port of Viana do Castelo.
On the Portuguese side, APA's SILiAmb register and the EU importer checks both apply. Below are 5 route-specific points to plan for, what we do about each, and the documents to have ready before booking.
What we need to start
- Winter ice & spring fog
- Dalian Dayaowan export
- SILiAmb / APA registration
- Portuguese-language safety information
- Consignee EORI
Route profile
What sets Dalian → Viana do Castelo apart
Portugal
An annual SILiAmb declaration, a licensed management entity or individual system, and EU importer duties from the declaration of conformity to the importer's address on the battery.
Where this route gets difficult
What to watch between Dalian and Viana do Castelo: 5 points
Listed from loading in Dalian to import into Portugal, each with what we do about it.
- Origin port
Spring fog season from April to July
The China Meteorological Administration describes sea fog as a major marine hazard in the Yellow and Bohai Seas, with the season mainly from April to July, seriously affecting sea transport. Fog holds keep vessels at anchor, and a late vessel can push the box past its documented sailing.
What Anxin does: In the fog season we avoid tight stuffing-to-cut-off gaps and keep the filing data ready to amend if the vessel changes.
- Sea corridor
Suez itself is working normally
The JMIC's September 2026 update rated the northern Red Sea and Suez Canal MODERATE, with the canal operating in both directions and container lines returning selectively, and the Eastern Mediterranean LOW. The risk on this corridor is concentrated at the southern entrance of the Red Sea rather than at the canal.
What Anxin does: We check before each booking whether the service has changed routing since the last quote.
- Import country
CE marking and a declaration of conformity in the right language
The importer in Portugal carries the check: CE marking on the battery and an EU declaration of conformity, translated into the language Portugal 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 Portugal importer. We check that the documents exist and match the goods; we do not assess conformity.
- Import country
The ICS2 entry summary is due before loading in Dalian
Sea cargo for the EU needs a complete Entry Summary Declaration under ICS2 Release 3, and for deep-sea containers it is due 24 hours before loading at the departure port. Carriers apply 'no manifest, no load', and a filing without a valid EORI number is rejected, so a data gap in Dalian leaves the box on the quay.
What Anxin does: We collect the consignee's EORI number, an HS-level goods description and the house-bill parties at booking, and make sure the party filing the ENS has them before the Dalian cut-off.
- Import country
Instructions and safety information in the language of Portugal
Importers must make sure batteries come with instructions and safety information in a language end-users in Portugal easily understand, as that Member State decides. Printed inserts and carton text are far easier to change before the goods are packed in China.
What Anxin does: We ask the importer which language Portugal requires and check carton and insert photos against it before loading.
Documents & compliance
Documents to line up for Dalian → Viana do Castelo
Anxin reviews documents supplied by the shipper, manufacturer and importer; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.
Before loading in Dalian
- Container packing certificate signed by a certified packing inspector after supervised stuffing
- Transport-condition classification report where applicable
- Load plan showing even weight distribution (no more than 60% of the cargo weight in either half of the container length)
- EU declaration of conformity and CE marking photo from the manufacturer
- Importer name, trade name and postal address printed on battery or packaging
For the shipping line
- Routing (Red Sea or Cape) and any war-risk surcharge stated on the booking
- Lithium battery mark (SP188 cargo) or class 9 labels and placards
- Condition statement: new, used, damaged/defective (SP376) or for recycling (SP377)
At the Portugal end
- Instructions and safety information in the language Portugal requires
- Haulier in Portugal briefed with UN number, class 9 and tunnel code (E) for the road leg
- APA (SILiAmb) registration and management entity of the Portuguese producer
Before you book
One consistent file
A document that is present but inconsistent holds a booking as surely as a missing one: the UN number, model name or carton count reads differently in the Dalian export filings, the carrier booking and the Portugal import papers. We compare all three before confirming space.
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
Risks on this route and who deals with them
| Risk | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fog hold delays the vessel; filings need amending | Yellow Sea, Apr–Jul | Amendment-ready filing data | Anxin with the declarant |
| Declaration of conformity missing or not in the required language | Importer in Portugal | Declaration and CE photo collected before loading | Manufacturer / importer |
| ENS not filed and the box is refused at loading | Loading port, Dalian | EORI and house-bill data passed to the filer at booking | Filer (carrier / forwarder) |
Questions
Common questions on the Dalian → Viana do Castelo route
It registers with APA on the SILiAmb platform, files an annual declaration by 31 March, and joins a licensed management entity or runs an APA-authorised individual system.
Often: in September 2026, 57% of Asia–Mediterranean services used the Red Sea routing. Bab el-Mandeb was rated a SUBSTANTIAL threat by the JMIC on 24 September 2026, so we confirm each service's routing before booking.
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
Where these points come from
- Registo de Produtores de Produtos (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente)
- Registo de Produtores: Baterias (apresentação, 30.01.2026) (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries (ELI) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
- ICS2 Release 3: Prepare your business for sending goods to or via the EU by sea and inland waterways (European Commission, DG TAXUD (leaflet KP0423828ENN))
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (Official Journal PDF) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
- Inland transport of dangerous goods (summary of Directive 2008/68/EC) (EUR-Lex)
- JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))
- Sea ice arrives: what are the impacts? (Bohai and northern Yellow Sea, winter 2021/22) (China Meteorological Administration (from China Natural Resources News))
- Sea fog in the Yellow and Bohai Seas (fog season mainly April–July) (China Meteorological Administration (from Guangming Daily))
Next step
From enquiry to import
- 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
- 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
- 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
- 4HandoverAt Dalian
- 5ImportClearance at Viana do Castelo
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Dalian → Viana do Castelo before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
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