Transpacific (North Pacific)
No canal or Red Sea passage, but a North Pacific crossing where winter storms have collapsed container stacks.
North America · sea freight from Shanghai
Shanghai to Everett
East China Sea · Korea Strait · Sea of Japan · Tsugaru Strait · North Pacific · Strait of Juan de Fuca
This route runs from the Yangtze River Delta via Shanghai's Yangshan and Waigaoqiao terminals, then follows a North Pacific corridor with no canal or chokepoint; at the far end is the port of Everett.
US entry is decided as much by paperwork filed in China as by anything at the port. Below are 5 route-specific points to plan for, what we do about each, and the documents to have ready before booking.
What we need to start
Route profile
No canal or Red Sea passage, but a North Pacific crossing where winter storms have collapsed container stacks.
US entry hinges on filings made in China (ISF and AMS), a traceable lithium supply chain and a road leg that is regulated as a hazmat move.


Where this route gets difficult
In the order the cargo meets them: at the loading port, at sea, at Everett and at customs in United States.
Shanghai MSA's Notice No. 4 of 2024 lets the shipper use either an inspector-signed packing certificate or a packing declaration from the stuffing company, but the responsibility stays with the shipper: UN-tested batteries, protected against damage, short circuit and accidental activation. MSA spot-checks during and after the process and can ask for proof.
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.
NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center found hurricane-force winds (64 knots and above) in North Pacific mid-latitude storms in every month from October to April, peaking in December, with 15 to 23 such storms per season in its 2001–2004 records. They are not typhoons, so they do not follow the tropical calendar.
What Anxin does: For October–April sailings we check blocking and bracing on stuffing photos before sealing and confirm the full DG data are on the manifest.
For lithium-ion batteries entered from 1 January 2026 USTR set the Section 301 additional duty on HTSUS 8507.60.0020 (the non-EV line) at 25%, the level EV batteries under 8507.60.0010 reached in 2024. Other China-specific duties can be added and change at short notice, so the classification and the entry date both move the landed cost at Everett.
What Anxin does: We do not give duty rulings. We make sure the invoice describes chemistry, configuration and application precisely enough for the importer's customs broker to classify it, and we flag the entry date when a vessel's arrival could straddle a duty change.
Washington's battery law (RCW 70A.555) closes the market to producers outside an approved stewardship organization from 1 January 2027, and from July 2027 retailers need the producer's certification before selling portable batteries or products that contain them.
What Anxin does: When cargo through Everett is sold in Washington, we flag the 2027 stewardship requirement to the importer at quotation so that retailer certification is in place in time.
Consumer products containing button or coin cells manufactured or imported after 19 March 2024 must meet the UL 4200A-2023 performance and warning-label rules adopted as 16 CFR part 1263, and battery packaging labels have been mandatory since 21 September 2024. The importer also needs a certificate citing the rule.
What Anxin does: When a shipment for Everett includes products with button or coin cells, we ask for the certificate and photos of the battery compartment warnings before booking.

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 Shanghai filings, the booking with the carrier and the documents for United States before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Everett.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-event spot check finds missing proof | Shanghai MSA | Evidence file kept per container | Shipper with Anxin |
| Heavy-weather damage in a winter storm | North Pacific, Oct–Apr | CINS stuffing checks | Packing site, checked by Anxin |
Questions
Yes. Under 49 CFR 171.25(b)(3), SP188 packages of UN3480 or UN3090 need the 'FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORT ABOARD PASSENGER AIRCRAFT' marking or a Cargo Aircraft Only label, and so do packages of batteries packed with or contained in equipment above 5 kg net. We check for it on carton photos before stuffing.
Weather is the main risk on this crossing: NOAA recorded hurricane-force North Pacific storms from October to April, most often in December. We tighten the packing checks for those sailings.
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
Next step
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We check carrier acceptance for Shanghai → Everett before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Shanghai · United States ports

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