Transpacific (North Pacific)
A great-circle route across the North Pacific, exposed to hurricane-force winter storms from October to April.
North America · sea freight from Dalian
Shipping from Dalian to Olympia
Dalian to Olympia
Yellow Sea · Korea Strait · Sea of Japan · Tsugaru Strait · North Pacific · Strait of Juan de Fuca
- DalianChina origin
- Yellow Sea
- Korea Strait
- Sea of Japan
- Tsugaru Strait
- North Pacific
- Strait of Juan de Fuca
- OlympiaUnited States
Lithium batteries for Olympia go through Dayaowan, where Liaoning's first JT/T 1543 lithium export sailed in May 2025. On the way they face a North Pacific corridor with no canal or chokepoint, and they arrive at the port of Olympia.
US entry is decided as much by paperwork filed in China as by anything at the port. This page sets out 6 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
- Supply-chain tracing file
- HTS code 8507.60
- ISF filer
Route profile
What sets Dalian → Olympia apart
United States
From ISF and AMS in China to a monitored emergency number on the US truck leg, with Section 301 and UFLPA shaping what arrives.
Where this route gets difficult
6 pain points from Dalian to Olympia
Loading port first, then the sea leg, then Olympia and the United States market.
- Origin port
Misdeclaration is the problem Dalian's MSA names first
Dayaowan MSA reported in April 2024 that omissions and misdeclarations of lithium battery cargo were frequent because the rules are complex. Its answer was a dedicated desk and hotline, priority handling for EV batteries, and AI comparison of documents to cut down container openings: a comparison that flags any gap between the declaration and the paperwork behind it.
What Anxin does: We reconcile the UN number, classification, packing group, quantity and SDS across every document before filing, which is exactly what an automated comparison will test.
- 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
Hurricane-force winter storms, October to April
NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center has recorded hurricane-force winds (64 knots or more) in mid-latitude North Pacific storms in every month from October to April, most often in December, with 15 to 23 such storms a season in its 2001–2004 study. These are not tropical systems, so they arrive outside typhoon season.
What Anxin does: For October–April sailings we check blocking and bracing on stuffing photos before sealing and confirm the full DG data are on the manifest.
- Import country
Washington battery stewardship starts in 2027
From 1 January 2027 producers selling covered batteries or battery-containing products in or into Washington must be in an approved stewardship plan through a battery stewardship organization, or they may not sell there (RCW 70A.555). From 1 July 2027 retailers may not stock portable batteries unless the producer certifies it participates.
What Anxin does: When cargo through Olympia is sold in Washington, we flag the 2027 stewardship requirement to the importer at quotation so that retailer certification is in place in time.
- Import country
Button and coin cells: Reese's Law
Consumer products containing button or coin cells manufactured or imported after 19 March 2024 must meet the UL 4200A-2023 performance and warning-label rules adopted as 16 CFR part 1263, and battery packaging labels have been mandatory since 21 September 2024. The importer also needs a certificate citing the rule.
What Anxin does: When a shipment for Olympia includes products with button or coin cells, we ask for the certificate and photos of the battery compartment warnings before booking.
- Import country
Product defects must be reported to CPSC within 24 hours
US importers, like manufacturers and retailers, must tell CPSC within 24 hours once they have information reasonably suggesting that a consumer product fails a safety rule or has a defect that could create a substantial hazard. Battery overheating reports from customers can trigger that duty, and CPSC expects any investigation to take no more than about 10 working days.
What Anxin does: We keep the manufacturer's batch records, UN 38.3 summaries and packing photos for each shipment to Olympia, so the importer can answer CPSC questions quickly.
Documents & compliance
Documents to line up for Dalian → Olympia
These documents come from the shipper, the manufacturer and the importer. Anxin checks them against each other; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.
Before loading in Dalian
- UN number, class, quantity and SDS reconciled across all documents before the Dalian filing
- 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)
- 'Made in China' marking on articles or containers checked on photos
For the shipping line
- Stuffing photos before, during and after packing, checked for blocking and bracing
- Condition statement: new, used, damaged/defective (SP376) or for recycling (SP377)
- SP188 cartons: US 'forbidden aboard passenger aircraft' marking or CAO label
For the importer in United States
- HTSUS classification from the broker (8507.60.0010 vs .0020 decides the Section 301 line)
- Supply-chain tracing file for cells and lithium inputs, in case of a UFLPA request
Before you book
Send the file once, complete
Most delays on this route start with a document that exists but does not match: a UN number, a model name or a package count that differs between the Dalian filings, the carrier booking and the United States import file. We check the three against each other before the booking is confirmed.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Declaration flagged by document comparison; container opened | Dayaowan | Cross-document reconciliation before filing | Anxin with the declarant |
| Ice delays berthing in mid-winter | Northern Yellow Sea, Jan–Feb | Extra time before cut-off; schedule reconfirmed | Carrier, monitored by Anxin |
| Heavy-weather damage in a winter storm | North Pacific, Oct–Apr | CINS stuffing checks | Packing site, checked by Anxin |
Questions
Common questions on the Dalian → Olympia route
For lithium-ion batteries classified in HTSUS 8507.60.0020 and entered from 1 January 2026, USTR set the Section 301 additional duty at 25%; EV traction batteries in 8507.60.0010 have been at 25% since 2024. Other duties can apply on top. The importer's customs broker confirms the classification and total duty; we make sure the invoice gives the broker enough detail to do so.
Weather is the main risk on this crossing: NOAA recorded hurricane-force North Pacific storms from October to April, most often in December. We tighten the packing checks for those sailings.
Dayaowan MSA reported in 2024 that omissions and misdeclarations of lithium battery cargo were frequent because the rules are complex, and it uses AI document comparison. Consistent data across the declaration, SDS and packing documents is the main defence.
References
Official sources for this page
- 19 CFR 134.11: Country of origin marking required (Legal Information Institute (e-CFR text))
- Section 301 Modifications Determination (Federal Register notice, Sept 2024) (Office of the U.S. Trade Representative)
- 49 CFR 171.25 – Additional requirements for the use of the IMDG Code (eCFR / PHMSA)
- DHS designates steel, copper, lithium, caustic soda and red dates as UFLPA high-priority sectors (19 Aug 2025) (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
- Hurricane force extratropical cyclones observed using QuikSCAT (Mariners Weather Log 49-1) (NOAA Ocean Prediction Center)
- 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 Olympia
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Dalian → Olympia before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Dalian · United States ports
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