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 Johor
Shanghai to Johor
East China Sea · Taiwan Strait · South China Sea
- ShanghaiChina origin
- East China Sea
- Taiwan Strait
- South China Sea
- JohorMalaysia
Lithium batteries for Johor go from the Yangtze River Delta via Shanghai's Yangshan and Waigaoqiao terminals. On the way they face a Southeast Asian sea passage with no canal on the way, and they arrive at the port of Johor.
On the Malaysian side the importer's permits come first: an AP for vehicle batteries and a Certificate of Approval for chargers. 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
- Yangshan / Waigaoqiao export
- Photo-verified packing certificate
- MITI Approved Permit
- Charger approval
- No used EV batteries
Route profile
How Shanghai → Johor differs from other lanes
Malaysia
A MITI Approved Permit for vehicle batteries since 2026, Energy Commission approval for chargers, and no used vehicle batteries.
Where this route gets difficult
Where Shanghai → Johor shipments get held up: 5 points
In the order the cargo meets them: at the loading port, at sea, at Johor and at customs in Malaysia.
- Origin port
Fire-rating proof for Shanghai stuffing warehouses
Under Shanghai MSA's 2024 draft reporting guide, a warehouse stuffing lithium battery dangerous goods must hold fire-department proof of its fire hazard class and fire-resistance rating, and keep its details current on the Shanghai single window, which took over MSA account and site records in 2026.
What Anxin does: We only propose stuffing sites that can show the fire-safety documents and are on Shanghai MSA's system; if you use your own warehouse, we check this before booking.
- 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.
- Sea corridor
North-east monsoon winds in the Taiwan Strait
Routes from northern China to Johor 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
The charger in the box is regulated equipment
Malaysia's Energy Commission regulates 34 categories of electrical equipment, adapters and chargers among them. An importer bringing them into Johor needs a regulation 97 Certificate of Approval and regulation 98 labelling.
What Anxin does: When chargers or adapters are packed with the batteries, we ask the importer for the Certificate of Approval and check the label on product photos before loading in Shanghai.
- Import country
ePermit and SIRIM: the new import control on vehicle batteries
Malaysia put new vehicle accumulators under an Approved Permit from 1 January 2026. The importer applies through ePermit with SIRIM certification, and the six-month validity means the container for Johor must be cleared before the AP lapses.
What Anxin does: For EV or motorcycle batteries going to Johor, we ask the importer for the AP number and its expiry date before booking, and time the sailing inside it.
Documents & compliance
Documents to line up for Shanghai → Johor
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.
Before loading in Shanghai
- 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
- 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)
For the carrier and the voyage
- 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
At the Malaysia end
- MITI AP number and expiry for vehicle batteries
Before you book
Match the details first
We line up UN numbers, model names and package counts across the Shanghai filings, the booking with the carrier and the documents for Malaysia before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Johor.
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
What could go wrong from Shanghai to Johor, and who acts
| 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 |
| Vehicle batteries held because the AP has lapsed | Malaysian port of discharge | Sailing timed inside the AP validity | Importer |
Questions
Shanghai → Johor: questions we are asked
Not under the 2026 control, which covers new batteries only. We check with the importer before booking anything second-hand.
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.
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
Official sources for this page
- Weather phenomena: Northeast Monsoon (Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia))
- Approved Permit for new reusable batteries (accumulators) for motor vehicles (Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry)
- Regulated electrical equipment in Malaysia (Electricity Regulations 1994, Reg. 97-98; 34 categories requiring CoA and labelling) (Energy Commission (Suruhanjaya Tenaga))
- Notice on the trial of the remote smart management system for DG container packing (Chinese), 12 November 2021 (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 Johor
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Shanghai → Johor before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Shanghai · Malaysia ports
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