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.
North America · sea freight from Shanghai
Shipping from Shanghai to Savannah
Shanghai to Savannah
East China Sea · Korea Strait · Tsugaru Strait · North Pacific · Eastern Pacific · Panama Canal · Caribbean Sea · Windward Passage
- ShanghaiChina origin
- East China Sea
- Korea Strait
- Tsugaru Strait
- North Pacific
- Eastern Pacific
- Panama Canal
- Caribbean Sea
- Windward Passage
- SavannahUnited States
Lithium batteries for Savannah go through Yangshan or Waigaoqiao under Shanghai MSA's photo-verified packing rules. On the way they face a Pacific crossing and a Panama Canal transit, and they arrive at the port of Savannah.
The United States applies Section 301 and UFLPA scrutiny to Chinese lithium batteries and wants its manifest data before loading. This page sets out 6 points specific to this route, how Anxin handles each one and which documents to prepare.
What we need to start
- Photo-verified packing certificate
- Yangshan / Waigaoqiao export
- HTS code 8507.60
- ISF filer
- Supply-chain tracing file
Route profile
How Shanghai → Savannah differs from other lanes
United States
From ISF and AMS in China to a monitored emergency number on the US truck leg, with Section 301 and UFLPA shaping what arrives.
Where this route gets difficult
Where Shanghai → Savannah shipments get held up: 6 points
Listed from loading in Shanghai to import into United States, each with what we do about it.
- 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.
- 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
The Pacific leg before Panama in winter
The first half of the voyage crosses the North Pacific, where NOAA has recorded hurricane-force mid-latitude storms from October to April, most often in December.
What Anxin does: For October–April sailings we check blocking and bracing on stuffing photos before sealing.
- Import country
The ISF deadline falls before the box is loaded
CBP must have the Importer Security Filing 24 hours before the container is laden in Shanghai, and its liquidated damages guidelines provide for a claim for each late, inaccurate or incomplete filing. The stuffing location and consolidator can only be filled in once the container is packed, which leaves a short window.
What Anxin does: We send the importer's ISF filer the stuffing location, consolidator and manufacturer details as soon as the container is packed in Shanghai, ahead of the vessel's loading window.
- Import country
Where the lithium came from: UFLPA questions at entry
Since August 2025 lithium has been a high-priority sector under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, and CBP had by then stopped more than 16,700 shipments for UFLPA review. A container for Savannah can be held while the importer shows where the cells, cathode material and lithium compounds were sourced.
What Anxin does: We tell the importer at quotation stage that supply-chain tracing may be requested, and keep manufacturer names and addresses consistent across invoice, packing list and ISF so the paper trail does not contradict itself.
- Import country
Georgia Ports: no terminal storage for UN3536 battery systems
Georgia Ports Authority rules effective 1 October 2025 treat battery energy storage systems (UN3536) like explosives: at least 96 hours' written notice, no storage on any Authority facility, no receipt by rail, and at Garden City discharge or loading directly shipside. Packed cells and modules under UN3480 are not caught, so the UN number decides how the container is handled at Savannah.
What Anxin does: We confirm the UN number with the shipper before booking. For a containerised energy storage system, we make sure the carrier gives the 96-hour notice and the consignee has trucks ready at the ship.
Documents & compliance
Checklist for Shanghai → Savannah
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 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
- 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)
Carrier and voyage
- Canal routing and any canal-related surcharge confirmed for the booked vessel
- Lithium battery mark (SP188 cargo) or class 9 labels and placards
- Condition statement: new, used, damaged/defective (SP376) or for recycling (SP377)
For the importer in United States
- ISF filer named; stuffing location and consolidator sent right after packing
- CPSC certificate data and eFiling arrangement, if the product is subject to certification
- 24-hour emergency response number (and provider reference) for the US road leg
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 United States before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Savannah.
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 Savannah, and who acts
| Risk | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-event spot check finds missing proof | Shanghai MSA | Evidence file kept per container | Shipper with Anxin |
| 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 |
| UFLPA detention pending supply-chain evidence | CBP at entry | Importer prepares tracing documents before shipping; consistent manufacturer data on all documents | Importer |
| Late or inaccurate ISF | Before loading abroad | Stuffing and consolidator data sent to the ISF filer immediately after packing | Anxin with the ISF filer |
Questions
Common questions on the Shanghai → Savannah route
Yes, if the container moves on a public highway. The IMDG waiver in 49 CFR 171.25(d)(2) only covers cargo that stays on the ship or moves between vessels; otherwise 49 CFR 172.604 requires a monitored number answered by someone with the emergency information. Goods shipped as 'Battery powered equipment' are exempt.
It can. In September 2026 the Panama Canal Authority postponed a planned draft cut in the Neopanamax locks because of Gatun Lake levels (advisory A-33-2026). We check the advisory in force when quoting.
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
Official sources for this page
- 19 CFR 149.2 – Importer security filing: requirement and time of transmission (eCFR / CBP)
- 49 CFR 171.25 – Additional requirements for the use of the IMDG Code (eCFR / PHMSA)
- 49 CFR 172.604: Emergency response telephone number (eCFR / PHMSA)
- Update: Certificates of Compliance and eFiling (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)
- DHS designates steel, copper, lithium, caustic soda and red dates as UFLPA high-priority sectors (19 Aug 2025) (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
- Advisory to Shipping A-33-2026: Postponement of maximum authorized draft adjustment in the Neopanamax locks (Panama Canal Authority)
- Hurricane force extratropical cyclones observed using QuikSCAT (Mariners Weather Log 49-1) (NOAA Ocean Prediction Center)
- 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 Savannah
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Shanghai → Savannah before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Shanghai · United States ports
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