Shenzhen (Yantian / Shekou)
Pearl River Delta battery cargo, often stuffed at factories in Dongguan or Huizhou, exported through Yantian or Shekou, with a typhoon season from June to October.
Africa · sea freight from Shenzhen
Shipping from Shenzhen to Alexandria
Shenzhen to Alexandria
South China Sea · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Gulf of Aden · Bab-el-Mandeb · Red Sea · Suez Canal · Mediterranean Sea
- ShenzhenChina origin
- South China Sea
- Malacca Strait
- Indian Ocean
- Gulf of Aden
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- Red Sea
- Suez Canal
- Mediterranean Sea
- AlexandriaEgypt
Lithium batteries for Alexandria go out of Shenzhen's Yantian and Shekou terminals. On the way they face a Bab el-Mandeb and Suez passage into the Mediterranean, and they arrive at a port where dangerous goods need Civil Protection approval to come ashore and may stay only 7 days.
On the Egyptian side the ACI system needs the exporter on CargoX and the documents uploaded before the ship arrives. 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
- Yantian / Shekou export
- Typhoon season Jun–Oct
- Exporter verified on CargoX
- Importers Register entry (GOEIC)
- DG manifest 48 h before berthing
Route profile
The Shenzhen → Alexandria route in brief
Asia – Mediterranean via Suez
Mediterranean services are the ones most likely to use Suez again (57% in September 2026), which puts the cargo back through Bab el-Mandeb, rated a SUBSTANTIAL threat.
Where this route gets difficult
What to watch between Shenzhen and Alexandria: 5 points
Listed from loading in Shenzhen to import into Egypt, each with what we do about it.
- Origin port
Cut-offs in Shenzhen's typhoon weeks
June to October is the regional tropical cyclone season according to the Hong Kong Observatory, peaking July to September. Because DG boxes need approved MSA filings and a signed packing certificate before loading, a gate closure or rolled vessel in those weeks can move the entire document chain to another sailing.
What Anxin does: From June to October we build slack into the stuffing date, confirm the DG cut-off with the carrier the week before loading, and resubmit filings promptly if the vessel changes.
- Sea corridor
If the service goes round Africa instead
The 43% of Mediterranean services not using the Red Sea sail round the Cape of Good Hope, then back through Gibraltar. SAMSA estimates about 200 of the 576 containers lost at sea in 2024 went overboard near the Cape, 35% of the year's total.
What Anxin does: On Cape sailings we apply the CINS blocking and bracing checks strictly on stuffing photos before sealing.
- Destination port
Seven days in port, with Civil Protection approval
Decision No. 2171/2020 for Alexandria and El Dekheila says dangerous-goods containers may not be discharged without the Civil Protection Administration's approval, and that it may let them stay in port for no more than 7 days before they move to an external facility under its supervision. The DG manifest must be in 48 hours before berthing.
What Anxin does: We line up the importer's clearance and haulage before the ship reaches Alexandria, so the container can leave inside the 7-day window.
- Import country
The ACID number has to exist before sailing
For Alexandria, the 19-digit ACID number is generated by the Egyptian importer on Nafeza before departure and printed on the bill of lading and every other shipping document. Egyptian Customs does not let cargo without one be unloaded; it is sent back at the carrier's cost.
What Anxin does: We do not release a booking for Alexandria until the importer has sent the ACID number, and we check it appears on the bill of lading draft, invoice and packing list.
- Import country
A new Importers Register regime since July 2026
Egypt replaced its Importers Register rules with Ministerial Decree No. 271 of 2026 from 22 July 2026. GOEIC decides on complete applications within 15 days, is moving registration, renewals and data updates online, and now allows time-limited registration for companies below 51% Egyptian ownership. A buyer whose entry has lapsed or is still pending cannot import the goods in its own name.
What Anxin does: We ask the Egyptian buyer to confirm its Importers Register status before we book the container for Alexandria.
Documents & compliance
What to have ready: Shenzhen to Alexandria
Anxin reviews documents supplied by the shipper, manufacturer and importer; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.
In Shenzhen, before the box is loaded
- Confirmation from the carrier of the DG cut-off at Yantian or Shekou, rechecked in typhoon weeks
- Load plan showing even weight distribution (no more than 60% of the cargo weight in either half of the container length)
- Class 9 placards on all sides; manifest sticker for mixed loads
- ACID number from the importer, printed on B/L draft, invoice and packing list
- Shipper's CargoX account verified; documents uploaded 48 h before arrival
Carrier and voyage
- Routing (Red Sea or Cape) and any war-risk surcharge stated on the booking
- 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 Egypt
- Clearance and haulage lined up to leave the port within 7 days
- Broker's power of attorney or Nafeza e-authorisation
Before you book
Match the details first
We line up UN numbers, model names and package counts across the Shenzhen filings, the booking with the carrier and the documents for Egypt before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Alexandria.
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 Shenzhen → Alexandria
| Risk | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typhoon closes terminals or delays the vessel after filings are made | Yantian / Shekou, Jun–Oct | Slack in stuffing date; refile quickly on vessel change | Anxin with the declarant |
| Heavy weather off South Africa on a Cape sailing | Cape of Good Hope | CINS stuffing checks | Packing site, checked by Anxin |
| Container exceeds the 7-day stay | Alexandria / El Dekheila | Clearance and trucks arranged before arrival | Importer |
| Cargo not unloaded and re-shipped for a missing ACID | Egyptian port of discharge | ACID checked on the B/L draft before release | Importer / Anxin |
Questions
Common questions on the Shenzhen → Alexandria route
A 19-digit number the Egyptian importer obtains on Nafeza before the shipment departs; it must be on the bill of lading and all shipping documents, or the cargo is not unloaded.
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.
Since September 2026 Dongguan Customs and Dongguan MSA share dangerous-goods packaging certificate data and act jointly against false declarations, so the packaging certificate and the MSA filing should match exactly.
References
Regulations and port sources cited
- ACI: frequently asked questions (Egyptian Customs Authority)
- JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))
- Forecasting yearly number of tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong (tropical cyclone season June–October, most active July–September) (Hong Kong Observatory)
Next step
From enquiry to import
- 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
- 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
- 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
- 4HandoverAt Shenzhen
- 5ImportClearance at Alexandria
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Shenzhen → Alexandria before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Shenzhen · Egypt ports
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