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Europe · sea freight from Shanghai

Shipping from Shanghai to Izmit (Kocaeli)

Shanghai to Izmit (Kocaeli)

East China Sea · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Dardanelles · Sea of Marmara

Sea corridor illustration: Shanghai to Izmit (Kocaeli), Turkey Simplified map with a curved corridor from Shanghai via East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Dardanelles, Sea of Marmara to Izmit (Kocaeli). Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIASOUTHEAST ASIACENTRAL ASIASOUTH CHINA SEA Singapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri LankaBab-el-MandebSuez Canal ShanghaiCHINA ORIGIN Izmit (Kocaeli)TURKEY 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. Suez Canal
  8. Dardanelles
  9. Sea of Marmara
  10. Izmit (Kocaeli)Turkey
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.

This route runs through Yangshan or Waigaoqiao under Shanghai MSA's photo-verified packing rules, 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 Izmit (Kocaeli).

Türkiye wants the entry summary declaration 24 hours before the container is loaded in China. 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
  • Özet beyan 24 h before loading
  • TAP membership + Çevre Uyum İzni
  • TAREKS application

Route profile

The Shanghai → Izmit (Kocaeli) route in brief

Origin port

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.

Import country

Türkiye

A Turkish entry summary 24 hours before loading in China, TAP membership and a TAREKS environmental permit for battery importers, and GEKAP on batteries placed on the market.

Yangshan deep-water port near Shanghai seen from a hillside, with container stacks and gantry cranes
A cargo ship at anchor in calm water under a clear sky

Where this route gets difficult

What to watch between Shanghai and Izmit (Kocaeli): 6 points

In the order the cargo meets them: at the loading port, at sea, at Izmit (Kocaeli) and at customs in Turkey.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Sea corridor

    The round-Africa alternative

    Services that avoid the Red Sea, 43% of the Mediterranean total, go round the Cape of Good Hope and re-enter through Gibraltar. SAMSA estimates that about 200 of the 576 containers lost at sea in 2024, 35% of the total, went overboard near the Cape.

    What Anxin does: On Cape sailings we apply the CINS blocking and bracing checks strictly on stuffing photos before sealing.

  4. Import country

    Özet beyan filed before the box is loaded

    For Izmit (Kocaeli), Turkish customs wants the entry summary declaration 24 hours before loading in China, filed electronically to the office of discharge; the carrier is answerable for third-party filings, and an arrival notification follows when the ship docks.

    What Anxin does: We give the carrier or filer the consignee details, HS-level description and DG data at booking, well before the Shanghai cut-off.

  5. Import country

    Risk-based TAREKS check comes first

    A battery container landed at Izmit (Kocaeli) cannot be declared to customs until the TAREKS import inspection under Communiqué 2017/15 is done; the system selects checks by risk analysis, and the importer answers for compliance.

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

  6. Import country

    CE evidence and an invoice in triplicate

    For products under EU CE-marking directives, Türkiye asks for evidence of CE marking, either a notified-body certificate or a manufacturer's declaration of conformity citing the directives and harmonised standards. The commercial invoice goes in triplicate with HS code and origin, the certificate of origin must have no corrections, and the original bill of lading plus three copies must match.

    What Anxin does: We check the declaration of conformity, invoice and certificate of origin against each other before the originals are sent to the importer in Turkey.

Locator map of Izmit (Kocaeli), TurkeyIzmit (Kocaeli)
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (40.77°N, 29.92°E).
Aerial view of a container yard with rows of colourful containers at the Port of Barcelona

Documents & compliance

What to have ready: Shanghai to Izmit (Kocaeli)

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

At the Shanghai end

  • 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
  • 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 carrier and the voyage

  • Routing (Red Sea or Cape) and any war-risk surcharge stated on the booking
  • UN 38.3 test summary for every cell and battery type
  • Dangerous goods declaration with UN number (3480 / 3481 / 3090 / 3091), proper shipping name and packing instruction (P903, or P908/P911 for damaged)

For the importer in Turkey

  • Declaration of conformity and test reports for the TAREKS inspection
  • Importer's TAP membership and Çevre Uyum İzni (TAREKS)
An electric bicycle with its battery mounted on the frame
Before you book

One consistent file

A document that is present but inconsistent holds a booking as surely as a missing one: the UN number, model name or carton count reads differently in the Shanghai export filings, the carrier booking and the Turkey import papers. We compare all three before confirming space.

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
Post-event spot check finds missing proofShanghai MSAEvidence file kept per containerShipper with Anxin
Heavy weather off South Africa on a Cape sailingCape of Good HopeCINS stuffing checksPacking site, checked by Anxin
Entry summary late and the box is not loadedLoading port, ShanghaiFiling data passed at bookingCarrier / filer
TAREKS inspection delays the customs declarationPort of dischargeConformity documents sent before loadingImporter / manufacturer

Questions

Shanghai → Izmit (Kocaeli): questions we are asked

Yes. Under Communiqué 2017/15 battery imports go through a risk-based TAREKS inspection before the customs declaration is registered.

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.

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

  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. Notice on the trial of the remote smart management system for DG container packing (Chinese), 12 November 2021 (Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration)
  5. 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 Izmit (Kocaeli)
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Shanghai → Izmit (Kocaeli)

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 → Izmit (Kocaeli) before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Shanghai · Turkey ports

A forklift loading goods into an open shipping container

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