Shanghai (Yangshan / Waigaoqiao)
Yangshan and Waigaoqiao exports under Shanghai MSA's photo-verified packing system, where a mismatch between photos and EDI data keeps a DG box off the ship.
South & Southeast Asia · sea freight from Shanghai
Shipping from Shanghai to Belawan
Shanghai to Belawan
East China Sea · Taiwan Strait · South China Sea · Malacca Strait
- ShanghaiChina origin
- East China Sea
- Taiwan Strait
- South China Sea
- Malacca Strait
- BelawanIndonesia
Lithium batteries for Belawan go through Yangshan or Waigaoqiao under Shanghai MSA's photo-verified packing rules. On the way they face the monsoon-driven seas of Southeast Asia, and they arrive at the port of Belawan.
On the Indonesian side the importer's approvals matter: SNI for primary cells and an import approval for used batteries. Below are 6 route-specific points to plan for, what we do about each, and the documents to have ready before booking.
What we need to start
- Yangshan / Waigaoqiao export
- Photo-verified packing certificate
- Used-battery approval
- 24-hour arrival notice
- SNI for primary cells
Route profile
How Shanghai → Belawan differs from other lanes
Asia – Southeast Asian seas
Typhoons and the winter monsoon set the pace on this short Southeast Asian route; smaller ports are often reached through a hub.
Where this route gets difficult
Where Shanghai → Belawan shipments get held up: 6 points
Loading port first, then the sea leg, then Belawan and the Indonesia market.
- Origin port
Photo evidence before Shanghai issues the packing certificate
Shanghai's electronic packing certificate goes out by EDI only after the inspector has uploaded before, during and after stuffing photos through the MSA's remote system, with face recognition and phone location switched on. Missing, late or off-site photos, or photos that do not match the EDI cargo data, stop the container from loading. Stuffing sites outside Shanghai need registration 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.
- 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.
- Sea corridor
North-east monsoon winds in the Taiwan Strait
Routes from northern China to Belawan go through the Taiwan Strait, whose funnel effect makes winds 1-2 Beaufort levels stronger than outside. In winter and spring the north-east monsoon brings force 7 or more on about two-thirds of days, which is hard on a load that has not been braced.
What Anxin does: We ask for blocking and bracing photos before the container is closed in Shanghai, checked against the CINS stuffing guidance for lithium batteries.
- Import country
RKSP and inward manifest: the carrier files before Belawan
Under PMK 158 the carrier notifies arrival 24 hours ahead and files the inward manifest before unloading. For a battery container from Shanghai, the manifest's description has to match the DG papers exactly.
What Anxin does: We give the carrier final cargo data, HS code and UN number before sailing from Shanghai, so the Indonesian manifest matches the DG declaration.
- Import country
Primary cells need SNI certification and marking
Since 20 May 2025 primary batteries sold in Indonesia must be SNI-certified and marked (Permenperin 69/2024). A consignment for Belawan that mixes lithium-ion packs with primary cells needs the certificate for the latter.
What Anxin does: When a shipment includes primary cells, we ask the importer for the SNI certificate and check the marking on carton photos before loading.
- Import country
Check whether Indonesian-language labels are required
Permendag 25/2021 lists goods that must carry Indonesian-language labels when sold in Indonesia. Whether a battery product going to Belawan is on the list should be checked by the importer before the retail packaging is printed.
What Anxin does: For retail-packed goods we ask the importer to confirm the labelling requirement before production is packed in Shanghai.
Documents & compliance
Checklist for Shanghai → Belawan
These documents come from the shipper, the manufacturer and the importer. Anxin checks them against each other; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.
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)
- Blocking and bracing photos for monsoon-season sailings
For the shipping line
- DG acceptance confirmed for a back-up vessel in typhoon months
- 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 Indonesia
- SNI certificate for any primary cells in the shipment
- Import approval and surveyor report for used batteries
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 Indonesia 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 → Belawan
| Risk | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container refused for loading: photos late, off-site or not matching EDI data | Yangshan / Waigaoqiao | Photo upload checked against EDI data before the certificate is sent | Packing inspector, checked by Anxin |
| Post-event spot check finds missing proof | Shanghai MSA | Evidence file kept per container | Shipper with Anxin |
| Container held for a manifest mismatch | Indonesian port of discharge | Manifest data checked against the DG declaration | Carrier, with data from Anxin |
Questions
Common questions on the Shanghai → Belawan route
Primary batteries have needed SNI certification and marking since 20 May 2025. Lithium-ion packs should be checked by the importer against the current SNI list.
From about November to March the north-east monsoon brings rough seas in the southern South China Sea. It rarely stops sailings, but it tests the stowage, so bracing matters more.
Shanghai MSA's Notice No. 4 of 2024 accepts either an inspector-signed packing certificate or a packing declaration issued by the stuffing company. Either way, the shipper remains responsible and must provide proof if MSA spot-checks.
References
Where these points come from
- Permendag No. 24 Tahun 2025: import of goods in non-new condition and non-hazardous waste (Kementerian Hukum (peraturan.go.id))
- Permendag No. 25 Tahun 2021: goods required to use or carry Indonesian-language labels (Kementerian Hukum (peraturan.go.id))
- PMK 158/PMK.04/2017 on arrival notification, inward manifest and outward manifest (Kementerian Keuangan (JDIH))
- Weather phenomena: Northeast Monsoon (Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia))
- Notice on the trial of the remote smart management system for DG container packing (Chinese), 12 November 2021 (Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration)
- Shanghai MSA Notice No. 4 of 2024 on declaring lithium battery dangerous-goods containers (Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration)
Next step
From enquiry to import
- 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
- 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
- 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
- 4HandoverAt Shanghai
- 5ImportClearance at Belawan
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Shanghai → Belawan before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
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