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Europe · sea freight from Guangzhou

Shipping from Guangzhou to Iskenderun

Guangzhou to Iskenderun

South China Sea · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Gulf of Aden · Bab-el-Mandeb · Red Sea · Suez Canal · Mediterranean Sea

Sea corridor illustration: Guangzhou to Iskenderun, Turkey Simplified map with a curved corridor from Guangzhou via South China Sea, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, Bab-el-Mandeb, Red Sea, Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea to Iskenderun. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIAAFRICA Singapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri LankaGulf of AdenBab-el-MandebSuez Canal GuangzhouCHINA ORIGIN IskenderunTURKEY GuangzhouSOUTH CHINA SEAGUANGDONGDEPARTURE AREA
  1. GuangzhouChina origin
  2. South China Sea
  3. Malacca Strait
  4. Indian Ocean
  5. Gulf of Aden
  6. Bab-el-Mandeb
  7. Red Sea
  8. Suez Canal
  9. Mediterranean Sea
  10. IskenderunTurkey
Geographic corridor illustration only, not a vessel track, port-call list or sailing schedule. The loading terminal, carrier, transshipment and dates are confirmed per shipment.

Lithium batteries for Iskenderun 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 Iskenderun.

Türkiye checks battery imports through TAREKS before the customs declaration is registered. The 5 points below are particular to this lane; each comes with what we do and the paperwork it touches.

What we need to start

  • Dongguan–Nansha one-box
  • Typhoon season Jun–Oct
  • TAP membership + Çevre Uyum İzni
  • TAREKS application
  • CE declaration of conformity
Ask about this route Turkey ports from Guangzhou

Route profile

What sets Guangzhou → Iskenderun apart

Origin port

Guangzhou (Nansha)

Pearl River Delta battery cargo through Nansha, where a September 2026 agreement lets Dongguan-inspected containers load without a second MSA check, and where typhoon season runs June to October.

Import country

Türkiye

CE evidence, a TAREKS check and a clean invoice with HS codes are what Turkish customs looks for on batteries.

Elevated section of the Nansha Port Railway on concrete piers in Guangzhou's Nansha district
A loaded container ship on the horizon

Where this route gets difficult

What to watch between Guangzhou and Iskenderun: 5 points

Loading port first, then the sea leg, then Iskenderun and the Turkey market.

  1. Origin port

    Typhoon weeks at the Pearl River mouth

    The Hong Kong Observatory puts the region's tropical cyclone season from June to October, busiest July to September. Nansha sits at the mouth of the Pearl River; a closed gate or a changed vessel means the DG filings and the packing certificate have to follow the box to a new sailing.

    What Anxin does: From June to October we leave slack between stuffing and the DG cut-off at Nansha and refile quickly if the vessel changes.

  2. Origin port

    Dongguan factory to Nansha: the new one-box route

    On 22 September 2026 Dongguan and Guangzhou MSA agreed to extend the one-box model to Nansha: Guangzhou MSA recognises Dongguan MSA's factory inspection and does not re-inspect unless necessary. The first box was stuffed in Dongguan that day and sailed from Nansha to Singapore on 24 September. The model is new at Nansha, so the factory record has to be right 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.

  3. Sea corridor

    The canal is open; the risk sits further south

    The JMIC's September 2026 update put the northern Red Sea and the Suez Canal at MODERATE, with two-way transits and container lines selectively returning, and the Eastern Mediterranean at LOW. On this corridor the exposure lies at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, not at the canal itself.

    What Anxin does: We check before each booking whether the service has changed routing since the last quote.

  4. Import country

    TAREKS inspection before the customs declaration

    Under Communiqué 2017/15, battery imports are inspected through the TAREKS system on a risk-analysis basis, and the inspection happens before the customs declaration can be registered. The importer is legally responsible for the goods' compliance, so conformity documents need to be ready when the container reaches Iskenderun.

    What Anxin does: We send the importer the manufacturer's declaration of conformity, test reports and product photos before loading, for its TAREKS application.

  5. Import country

    GEKAP on batteries placed on the market

    Türkiye charges a recovery contribution (GEKAP) on batteries placed on the market, imports included, payable to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance under Environment Law No. 2872. It is the importer's liability, but the quantities and battery types on the invoice and packing list are what it is calculated from.

    What Anxin does: We make sure the invoice and packing list give battery type, quantity and weight per line, so the importer can calculate GEKAP from the shipping documents.

Locator map of Iskenderun, TurkeyIskenderun
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (36.60°N, 36.17°E).
Container ship alongside blue gantry cranes at the Juan Carlos I dock, Algeciras

Documents & compliance

Documents to line up for Guangzhou → Iskenderun

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.

Before loading in Guangzhou

  • 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
  • Load plan showing even weight distribution (no more than 60% of the cargo weight in either half of the container length)
  • Invoice in triplicate with HS code and origin; certificate of origin without corrections

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)

For the importer in Turkey

  • Declaration of conformity and test reports for the TAREKS inspection
  • Importer's TAP membership and Çevre Uyum İzni (TAREKS)
A cordless drill with its battery pack attached
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 Guangzhou filings, the carrier booking and the Turkey 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

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Second inspection at Nansha because factory records are incompleteDongguan factory → NanshaPhotos, packing certificate and declaration matched before truckingAnxin
Typhoon closure after filings are madeNansha, Jun–OctSlack in stuffing date; prompt refilingAnxin with the declarant
TAREKS inspection delays the customs declarationPort of dischargeConformity documents sent before loadingImporter / manufacturer

Questions

Common questions on the Guangzhou → Iskenderun route

At least 24 hours before the container is loaded at the departure port in China, filed electronically to the customs office of discharge.

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

Official sources for this page

  1. Sıkça sorulan sorular: Özet beyan (T.C. Ticaret Bakanlığı)
  2. Türkiye: Import Requirements and Documentation (last published 2026-01-29) (International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce)
  3. JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))
  4. Forecasting yearly number of tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong (tropical cyclone season June–October, most active July–September) (Hong Kong Observatory)
  5. Export dangerous goods packaging inspection: service guide (Chinese) (General Administration of Customs of China (Lanzhou Customs service guide))

Next step

From enquiry to import

  1. 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
  2. 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
  3. 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
  4. 4HandoverAt Guangzhou
  5. 5ImportClearance at Iskenderun
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Guangzhou → Iskenderun

Origin and destination are filled in; add the cargo facts you have.

Sending this form starts a review; it does not confirm carriage. Full enquiry form

After you send it

We check carrier acceptance for Guangzhou → Iskenderun before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Guangzhou · Turkey ports

A forklift loading goods into an open shipping container

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