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 Lianyungang
Lianyungang to Horta
Yellow Sea · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Sicily Channel · Strait of Gibraltar
This route runs through Lianyungang port, then follows a Suez corridor that Mediterranean services are using again more than any other Asia–Europe lane; at the far end is the port of Horta.
On the Portuguese side, APA's SILiAmb register and the EU importer checks both apply. This page sets out 5 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.
Portugal's SILiAmb register at APA on top of EU duties: CE marking, the 2026 label and 2027 QR code, and ADR for the road leg.


Where this route gets difficult
Loading port first, then the sea leg, then Horta and the Portugal market.
Under Lianyungang MSA's Notice No. 1 of 2024 the cargo side of a 'new three' filing needs four items: safe-carriage declaration, packing certificate signed by an inspector, packaging inspection certificate where the goods are packaged, and a power of attorney. A shorter list puts more weight on each paper, and the packing certificate still requires a certified inspector after supervised stuffing.
What Anxin does: We prepare the four cargo-side documents together and check that the packing certificate, the packaging certificate and the declaration describe the same UN numbers and quantities.
Sea-Intelligence data for September 2026 show 57% of Asia–Mediterranean services routed via the Red Sea, against 27% for North Europe. For Horta the Suez routing is therefore the likely one, and it runs through Bab el-Mandeb, which the JMIC rated SUBSTANTIAL on 24 September 2026: the Houthis describe their blockade as selective, and they now hold Perim Island in the channel.
What Anxin does: We ask the carrier which routing its service to Horta uses and name it on the quote, together with any war-risk or emergency surcharge.
Two marking dates fall into current shipping plans for Portugal: the general label from 18 August 2026 and the QR code from 18 February 2027, which for EV, LMT and larger industrial batteries has to open the battery passport.
What Anxin does: Before booking we ask the Portugal importer to confirm the battery category and whether the label and QR-code elements are already on the goods, and compare carton photos with that answer.
Since 18 August 2024 a stationary battery energy storage system placed on the EU market must be safe in normal operation, and its technical documentation must show testing against the Annex V safety parameters, from thermal shock and short-circuit protection to over-discharge and thermal propagation. Buyers of ESS cabinets in Portugal increasingly ask for that file before delivery.
What Anxin does: For ESS cabinets and racks bound for Portugal we ask the manufacturer to confirm that the Annex V test documentation exists before booking and note the answer in the shipment file.
Importers must make sure batteries come with instructions and safety information in a language end-users in Portugal easily understand, as that Member State decides. Printed inserts and carton text are far easier to change before the goods are packed in China.
What Anxin does: We ask the importer which language Portugal requires and check carton and insert photos against it before loading.

Documents & compliance
Anxin reviews documents supplied by the shipper, manufacturer and importer; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.

We line up UN numbers, model names and package counts across the Lianyungang filings, the booking with the carrier and the documents for Portugal before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Horta.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| One of the four documents inconsistent with the others | Lianyungang MSA filing | Cross-check before submission | Anxin with the declarant |
| Security incident near Bab el-Mandeb changes the routing or adds surcharges | Southern Red Sea | Routing and surcharges stated in writing before booking | Carrier, checked by Anxin |
| Stock shipped without the label due from August 2026 | Importer in Portugal | Label status confirmed before booking | Manufacturer / importer |
| Storage system delivered without Annex V test file | Buyer in Portugal | Test documentation confirmed before booking | Manufacturer |
Questions
The importer's: name, registered trade name or trade mark and postal address with a contact point, on the battery or, if it is too small, on the packaging or accompanying document.
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.
Under its Notice No. 1 of 2024, the cargo side submits the DG safe-carriage declaration, the inspector-signed packing certificate, the packaging inspection certificate where the goods are packaged, and a power of attorney.
References
Next step
Prefer chat? Chat on WhatsApp (+86 151 4514 5178)
We check carrier acceptance for Lianyungang → Horta before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Lianyungang · Portugal ports

Share the cargo facts; we review the route in writing.
Request a Quote