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Africa · sea freight from Shanghai

Shipping from Shanghai to Alexandria

Shanghai to Alexandria

East China Sea · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Red Sea · Suez Canal · Mediterranean Sea

Sea corridor illustration: Shanghai to Alexandria, Egypt Simplified map with a curved corridor from Shanghai via East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bab-el-Mandeb, Red Sea, Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea to Alexandria. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIASOUTHEAST ASIASOUTH CHINA SEAINDIAN OCEAN Taiwan StraitSingapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri LankaBab-el-Mandeb ShanghaiCHINA ORIGIN AlexandriaEGYPT ShanghaiEAST CHINA SEAJIANGSUZHEJIANGDEPARTURE AREA
  1. ShanghaiChina origin
  2. East China Sea
  3. Taiwan Strait
  4. Malacca Strait
  5. Indian Ocean
  6. Bab-el-Mandeb
  7. Red Sea
  8. Suez Canal
  9. Mediterranean Sea
  10. AlexandriaEgypt
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 Alexandria go out of Shanghai, where MSA spot-checks battery containers during and after filing. On the way they face a Bab el-Mandeb and Suez passage into the Mediterranean, and they arrive at a port where dangerous goods need Civil Protection approval to come ashore and may stay only 7 days.

On the Egyptian side the ACI system needs the exporter on CargoX and the documents uploaded before the ship arrives. 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

  • Yangshan / Waigaoqiao export
  • Photo-verified packing certificate
  • ACID number on the B/L
  • Exporter verified on CargoX
  • Importers Register entry (GOEIC)
Ask about this route Egypt ports from Shanghai

Route profile

How Shanghai → Alexandria differs from other lanes

Sea corridor

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.

Destination port

Alexandria and El Dekheila

A DG manifest 48 hours before berthing, Civil Protection approval to discharge, and at most 7 days in port for dangerous-goods containers.

Yangshan deep-water port near Shanghai seen from a hillside, with container stacks and gantry cranes
A loaded container ship on the horizon

Where this route gets difficult

What to watch between Shanghai and Alexandria: 5 points

They run from the Shanghai terminal through the voyage to Alexandria and the Egypt import file.

  1. Origin port

    Shanghai's photo-verified packing certificate

    At Shanghai the packing inspector must upload photos taken before, during and after stuffing through the MSA's remote system, with face recognition and phone location on, before the electronic packing certificate goes out by EDI. A container is not loaded if the photos are missing, uploaded late, taken outside the verified stuffing site, or do not match the EDI cargo data. Stuffing sites outside Shanghai must be registered with Shanghai MSA.

    What Anxin does: We confirm that the stuffing site (including factory sites in Jiangsu or Zhejiang) is registered for Shanghai's remote system, and we check the photo upload against the EDI data before the packing certificate is sent.

  2. Origin port

    Shanghai checks during and after the voyage filing, not just before

    Shanghai MSA's Notice No. 4 of 2024 accepts either an inspector-signed packing certificate or a packing declaration from the stuffing company, but places the burden on the shipper: the batteries must meet the UN tests and be protected against damage, short circuit and accidental activation, and MSA runs spot checks during and after the process, with proof to be produced on request.

    What Anxin does: We keep a file per container (UN38.3 summary, SDS, packing photos, terminal protection details) so that proof can be produced the same day if Shanghai MSA asks for it after sailing.

  3. Sea corridor

    Suez itself is working normally

    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.

  4. Destination port

    Seven days in port, with Civil Protection approval

    Decision No. 2171/2020 for Alexandria and El Dekheila says dangerous-goods containers may not be discharged without the Civil Protection Administration's approval, and that it may let them stay in port for no more than 7 days before they move to an external facility under its supervision. The DG manifest must be in 48 hours before berthing.

    What Anxin does: We line up the importer's clearance and haulage before the ship reaches Alexandria, so the container can leave inside the 7-day window.

  5. Import country

    Broker authorised through Nafeza before arrival

    Egyptian customs accepts a broker for a private importer only with a power of attorney registered at the Real Estate Registry or an e-authorisation on Nafeza, required by Customs Law No. 207 of 2020.

    What Anxin does: We ask the importer which broker will clear the container and whether its Nafeza authorisation is in place before the ship arrives.

Locator map of Alexandria, EgyptAlexandria
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (31.17°N, 29.83°E).
Early-morning panorama of the Port of Durban with container cranes

Documents & compliance

What to have ready: Shanghai to Alexandria

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.

At the Shanghai end

  • Stuffing photos (before, during, after) uploaded to Shanghai MSA's remote system before the EDI packing certificate is sent
  • Stuffing site registered and geo-verified with Shanghai MSA; fire-safety proof for lithium DG warehouses
  • Per-container evidence file (UN38.3 summary, SDS, photos, short-circuit protection) kept for Shanghai MSA spot checks
  • Load plan showing even weight distribution (no more than 60% of the cargo weight in either half of the container length)
  • Class 9 placards on all sides; manifest sticker for mixed loads

For the carrier and the voyage

  • Routing (Red Sea or Cape) and any war-risk surcharge stated on the booking
  • Dangerous goods declaration with UN number (3480 / 3481 / 3090 / 3091), proper shipping name and packing instruction (P903, or P908/P911 for damaged)
  • Lithium battery mark (SP188 cargo) or class 9 labels and placards

For import into Egypt

  • Clearance and haulage lined up to leave the port within 7 days
  • Importers Register status (GOEIC)
Warehouse with red racking and pallets of boxes
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 Shanghai filings, the carrier booking and the Egypt 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

Risk table for Shanghai → Alexandria

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Container refused for loading: photos late, off-site or not matching EDI dataYangshan / WaigaoqiaoPhoto upload checked against EDI data before the certificate is sentPacking inspector, checked by Anxin
Post-event spot check finds missing proofShanghai MSAEvidence file kept per containerShipper with Anxin
Container exceeds the 7-day stayAlexandria / El DekheilaClearance and trucks arranged before arrivalImporter

Questions

Questions about shipping from Shanghai to Alexandria

Register and be verified on CargoX, then upload the invoice, bill of lading, packing list and certificate of origin at least 48 hours before the vessel arrives.

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.

It can, but Shanghai MSA checks the phone location of the packing photos against a verified stuffing site, and sites outside Shanghai must be registered with it. We confirm registration before the stuffing date; otherwise the container can be refused for loading.

References

Where these points come from

  1. ACI: frequently asked questions (Egyptian Customs Authority)
  2. JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))
  3. Notice on the trial of the remote smart management system for DG container packing (Chinese), 12 November 2021 (Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration)
  4. Shanghai MSA Notice No. 4 of 2024 on declaring lithium battery dangerous-goods containers (Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration)

Next step

From enquiry to import

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

Ask about Shanghai → Alexandria

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 Shanghai → Alexandria before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Shanghai · Egypt ports

A truck hauling a teal shipping container on a motorway

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Share the cargo facts; we review the route in writing.

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