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 London
Dalian to London
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
- LondonUnited Kingdom
This route runs out of Dalian, the north-east's gateway on the Yellow Sea, then follows a lane whose routing, Suez or Cape of Good Hope, is decided service by service; at the far end is the port of London.
The UK side asks for an S&S GB declaration, a battery producer registration and harbour notice. 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
- Dalian Dayaowan export
- Winter ice & spring fog
- English-language safety information
- Consignee EORI
- EU declaration of conformity
London is listed for reference only while its commercial cargo use is being checked; no offer is made on this page.
Route profile
How Dalian → London differs from other lanes
United Kingdom
An S&S GB entry summary 24 hours before loading, UK battery producer registration with a BPRN, and 24-hour dangerous goods notice to the harbour master.
Where this route gets difficult
What to watch between Dalian and London: 5 points
Listed from loading in Dalian to import into United Kingdom, each with what we do about it.
- Origin port
Winter sea ice near Dayaowan
The Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea freeze every winter. For 2021/22 China's marine forecast centre expected floating ice around 15 nautical miles offshore in the northern Yellow Sea, where Dayaowan is, and around 60 in Liaodong Bay, with the peak between mid-January and 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
Suez on the map, the Cape on most sailings
The corridor on this page is drawn through Bab-el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal. In practice, Sea-Intelligence data for September 2026 put Red Sea routing on the Asia–Europe head-haul at 13–25%: 27% for services to North Europe and 57% for Mediterranean services. Which service calls at London decides whether the box goes through Suez or round the Cape of Good Hope, and the two routings differ in length, in the waters crossed and in the ports where a box might be transhipped.
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.
- Import country
An S&S GB entry summary 24 hours before loading in Dalian
The UK's S&S GB service must hold the entry summary for a London container 24 hours before it is loaded in Dalian. Whoever issued the bill of lading answers for it, and a late booking rolls to a later vessel rather than being loaded unfiled.
What Anxin does: We settle who issues the bill of lading at booking and pass complete consignee and goods data to that party before the Dalian cut-off.
- Import country
Bin symbol and capacity label under the 2008 regulations
For the British market the marking reference is the 2008 placing-on-the-market regulations: every battery carries the crossed-out bin, sized to its surface area, and rechargeable portable batteries state their capacity on the cell or pack and on the packaging front. Small or embedded batteries move the symbol to the packaging.
What Anxin does: We compare carton and battery photos with the UK marking list before goods leave Dalian, because relabelling after discharge at London means opening dangerous goods packages.
- Import country
Annual battery returns through the NPWD
Every year UK battery producers, registered with the environmental regulator via the National Packaging Waste Database, report the tonnage and chemistry of what they placed on the market. Distributors and retailers that supply more than 32 kg of batteries a year must also offer free take-back of waste portable batteries.
What Anxin does: We give the UK importer the battery weight and chemistry for each shipment from our booking data, which it can use for its annual return; the registration itself stays with the producer.
Documents & compliance
Documents to line up for Dalian → London
Anxin reviews documents supplied by the shipper, manufacturer and importer; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.
At the Dalian end
- Load plan showing even weight distribution (no more than 60% of the cargo weight in either half of the container length)
- Crossed-out bin symbol and mAh/Ah capacity label checked on battery and packaging photos
- Substance statement for mercury, cadmium and lead from the manufacturer
- Safety data sheet and dangerous goods safe-carriage declaration for the MSA cargo report
- Customs packaging use-appraisal result for the dangerous goods packaging (with the maker's performance appraisal)
For the shipping line
- Routing (Suez or Cape of Good Hope) and any transhipment port stated on the booking confirmation
- Condition statement: new, used, damaged/defective (SP376) or for recycling (SP377)
- Bill-of-lading issuer named and S&S GB data complete before loading
For import into United Kingdom
- Battery weight and chemistry per shipment for the importer's NPWD return
- UK haulier briefed with UN 3480 class 9 details for road carriage under ADR
- Importer's GB or XI EORI and CDS subscription confirmed; declarant named
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 United Kingdom before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at London.
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 → London
| 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 |
| Entry summary not lodged and the box rolls | Loading port, Dalian | Filer and data settled at booking | Bill-of-lading issuer |
| Annual tonnage return missing shipments | UK producer | Weight and chemistry recorded per shipment | Importer / producer |
Questions
Common questions on the Dalian → London route
At least 24 hours' notice to the harbour master before the dangerous goods enter the harbour area, under the Dangerous Goods in Harbour Areas Regulations 2016, unless the harbour master agrees a shorter period.
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
- Safety and security import requirements: entry summary declarations (HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK))
- The Dangerous Goods in Harbour Areas Regulations 2016, regulation 6 (legislation.gov.uk)
- The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009, regulation 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Regulations: waste batteries (GOV.UK (Office for Product Safety and Standards))
- Regulations: batteries and accumulators (placing on the market) (GOV.UK (Office for Product Safety and Standards))
- Subscribe to the Customs Declaration Service (HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK))
- Sea ice arrives: what are the impacts? (Bohai and northern Yellow Sea, winter 2021/22) (China Meteorological Administration (from China Natural Resources News))
- Export dangerous goods packaging inspection: service guide (Chinese) (General Administration of Customs of China (Lanzhou Customs service guide))
Next step
From enquiry to import
- 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
- 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
- 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
- 4HandoverAt Dalian
- 5ImportClearance at London
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Dalian → London before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Dalian · United Kingdom ports
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