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 Guangzhou
Guangzhou to Ferrol
South China Sea · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Sicily Channel · Strait of Gibraltar · Bay of Biscay
Lithium batteries for Ferrol go out of Nansha, at the mouth of the Pearl River. 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 Ferrol.
The Spanish side checks RII-PYA registration alongside the EU battery rules. 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
Route profile
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.
Spain's RII-PYA number on invoices, quarterly data that counts batteries inside equipment, EU importer duties and ADR for the road leg.


Where this route gets difficult
They run from the Guangzhou terminal through the voyage to Ferrol and the Spain import file.
Since 22 September 2026 Guangzhou MSA accepts Dongguan MSA's factory inspection for boxes loading at Nansha and re-inspects only when necessary. The first container was stuffed in Dongguan that day and left Nansha for Singapore on 24 September. Because the arrangement is new at Nansha, the factory record needs to be correct the first time.
What Anxin does: We ask at booking whether your Dongguan factory can use the Nansha one-box arrangement and make sure the stuffing photos, packing certificate and DG declaration match, because a mismatch is the 'necessary' case that brings the second inspection back.
Dongguan Customs and Dongguan MSA began sharing dangerous-goods packaging certificate data in September 2026, which they called a first in China, and agreed joint action on concealed and false declarations; Huangpu Customs runs a joint 'lithium batteries going overseas' service against misdeclaration as well. A mismatch between packaging certificate and MSA filing is visible to both.
What Anxin does: We check that the UN number, packaging code and quantities on the packaging certificate are exactly those on the MSA cargo report before either is submitted.
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.
Since 18 August 2024 a battery sold in the EU needs the CE marking and an EU declaration of conformity from its manufacturer. The declaration has to be available in the language Spain requires, and the importer is the one who must check both before the goods are released for sale.
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 Spain importer. We check that the documents exist and match the goods; we do not assess conformity.
For Ferrol, EU security pre-filing happens at the other end of the voyage: the ICS2 entry summary must reach the system 24 hours before the container is loaded in Guangzhou. No filing means no loading, and a missing EORI number is enough to reject it.
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 Guangzhou cut-off.
A battery entering Spain has to identify its importer: name, registered trade name or trade mark, postal address and a contact point belong on the battery itself, or on the packaging or accompanying document when the battery is too small. That text is fixed at the factory, not at Ferrol.
What Anxin does: We pass the Spain importer's name and address block to the manufacturer before the goods are packed in China and check carton or battery photos for it before loading.

Documents & compliance
Test reports, safety data sheets and import certificates come from the shipper, factory and importer, not from Anxin; our part is to review them before booking.

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 Guangzhou export filings, the carrier booking and the Spain 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
| Risk | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mismatch between packaging certificate and MSA filing flagged by shared data | Dongguan / Nansha | Line-by-line check before submission | Anxin with the declarant |
| Second inspection at Nansha because factory records are incomplete | Dongguan factory → Nansha | Photos, packing certificate and declaration matched before trucking | Anxin |
| Declaration of conformity missing or not in the required language | Importer in Spain | Declaration and CE photo collected before loading | Manufacturer / importer |
| ENS not filed and the box is refused at loading | Loading port, Guangzhou | EORI and house-bill data passed to the filer at booking | Filer (carrier / forwarder) |
| Importer details missing from battery and packaging | Importer in Spain | Address block sent to the factory before packing | Manufacturer / importer |
Questions
Yes. Batteries incorporated in electrical and electronic equipment, removable or not, are registered and declared like loose batteries.
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.
Both now have a one-box arrangement with Dongguan MSA: Yantian since May 2026 and Nansha since 22 September 2026, so a container inspected at the factory need not be reopened at the terminal unless necessary. The choice then comes down to the carrier's service to your destination and the cut-offs; we compare both when you book.
References
Next step
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We check carrier acceptance for Guangzhou → Ferrol before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Guangzhou · Spain ports

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