Asia – Americas via the Panama Canal
A Panama Canal corridor whose Neopanamax draft depends on Gatun Lake levels, followed by the Caribbean during hurricane season.
North America · sea freight from Dalian
Shipping from Dalian to Searsport
Dalian to Searsport
Yellow Sea · Korea Strait · Tsugaru Strait · Eastern Pacific · Panama Canal · Caribbean Sea · Windward Passage · US East Coast
- DalianChina origin
- Yellow Sea
- Korea Strait
- Tsugaru Strait
- Eastern Pacific
- Panama Canal
- Caribbean Sea
- Windward Passage
- US East Coast
- SearsportUnited States
Lithium batteries for Searsport go out of Dalian, the north-east's gateway on the Yellow Sea. On the way they face the Pacific, the Panama Canal and the Caribbean, and they arrive at the port of Searsport.
The US side adds a 25% Section 301 duty line, forced-labour scrutiny of lithium supply chains and an ISF deadline that falls before loading. 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
- Supply-chain tracing file
- HTS code 8507.60
- ISF filer
Route profile
How Dalian → Searsport differs from other lanes
United States
Section 301 duty on Chinese lithium-ion batteries at 25% since January 2026, UFLPA scrutiny of lithium supply chains, ISF 24 hours before loading, and a US-only marking rule for SP188 packages.
Where this route gets difficult
5 points to plan for on the Dalian → Searsport route
They run from the Dalian terminal through the voyage to Searsport and the United States 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
North Atlantic winter storms off the US East Coast
The last leg north to Searsport runs up the US East Coast in the North Atlantic, where NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center has recorded hurricane-force mid-latitude storms in every month from October to April, most often in January.
What Anxin does: For October–April arrivals we check blocking and bracing on stuffing photos before sealing, and allow slack in the delivery plan.
- Import country
A monitored US emergency number for the truck leg
The IMDG waiver in 49 CFR 171.25(d)(2) spares the emergency telephone number only when cargo stays on the ship or moves between vessels without using a public highway. Once the container is trucked out of Searsport, the shipping paper needs a numeric emergency response number that is monitored at all times and answered by someone who knows the material; an answering service that calls back does not count. Goods shipped as 'Battery powered equipment' are exempt.
What Anxin does: Before sailing we confirm who provides the 24-hour number for the US leg, usually the importer's emergency response provider, and put it with the contract reference on the DG documents we send to the trucker.
- 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 Searsport, so the importer can answer CPSC questions quickly.
- Import country
CPSC certificate data now filed at entry
Since 8 July 2026, importers of consumer products that are subject to a CPSC certification requirement must electronically file the certificate data at entry; goods entered from a Foreign Trade Zone follow on 8 January 2027. Whether a battery-powered product is caught depends on the rules that apply to that product, not on the battery alone.
What Anxin does: We ask whether the goods are consumer products that need a CPSC certificate and, if so, who files it, so that the question is settled before the goods arrive.
Documents & compliance
Documents to line up for Dalian → Searsport
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
- 'Made in China' marking on articles or containers checked on photos
- 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)
- Container packing certificate signed by a certified packing inspector after supervised stuffing
- Transport-condition classification report where applicable
For the carrier and the voyage
- Canal routing and any canal-related surcharge confirmed for the booked vessel
- SP188 cartons: US 'forbidden aboard passenger aircraft' marking or CAO label
- UN 38.3 test summary for every cell and battery type
At the United States end
- CPSC certificate data and eFiling arrangement, if the product is subject to certification
- ISF filer named; stuffing location and consolidator sent right after packing
- HTSUS classification from the broker (8507.60.0010 vs .0020 decides the Section 301 line)
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 United States 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice delays berthing in mid-winter | Northern Yellow Sea, Jan–Feb | Extra time before cut-off; schedule reconfirmed | Carrier, monitored by Anxin |
| Truck stopped without a monitored emergency number | Road leg from the port | Emergency response provider confirmed before sailing | Importer, checked by Anxin |
Questions
Dalian → Searsport: questions we are asked
Yes. Under 49 CFR 171.25(b)(3), SP188 packages of UN3480 or UN3090 need the 'FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORT ABOARD PASSENGER AIRCRAFT' marking or a Cargo Aircraft Only label, and so do packages of batteries packed with or contained in equipment above 5 kg net. We check for it on carton photos before stuffing.
1 June to 30 November, peaking around 10 September, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
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
- 19 CFR 134.11: Country of origin marking required (Legal Information Institute (e-CFR text))
- 19 CFR 149.2 – Importer security filing: requirement and time of transmission (eCFR / CBP)
- 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)
- 49 CFR 172.604: Emergency response telephone number (eCFR / PHMSA)
- Update: Certificates of Compliance and eFiling (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)
- Advisory to Shipping A-33-2026: Postponement of maximum authorized draft adjustment in the Neopanamax locks (Panama Canal Authority)
- Tropical Cyclone Climatology (NOAA National Hurricane Center)
- 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))
- 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 Searsport
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Dalian → Searsport before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Dalian · United States ports
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