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.
Africa · sea freight from Shenzhen
Shipping from Shenzhen to East Port Said
Shenzhen to East Port Said
South China Sea · Malacca Strait · Andaman Sea · Indian Ocean · Gulf of Aden · Bab-el-Mandeb · Red Sea · Suez Canal
- ShenzhenChina origin
- South China Sea
- Malacca Strait
- Andaman Sea
- Indian Ocean
- Gulf of Aden
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- Red Sea
- Suez Canal
- East Port SaidEgypt
This route runs from Dongguan and Shenzhen factories via Yantian, where the one-box route had moved 409 battery containers by September 2026, 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 East Port Said.
Egyptian customs will not unload a bill of lading without an ACID number. 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
- Yantian / Shekou export
- Typhoon season Jun–Oct
- Importers Register entry (GOEIC)
- ACID number on the B/L
- Exporter verified on CargoX
Route profile
How Shenzhen → East Port Said differs from other lanes
Egypt
An ACID number from Nafeza before the cargo leaves China, CargoX document uploads 48 hours before arrival, and a new Importers Register regime since July 2026.
Where this route gets difficult
Where Shenzhen → East Port Said shipments get held up: 5 points
Loading port first, then the sea leg, then East Port Said and the Egypt market.
- 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.
- Origin port
Packaging certificates are now visible to both customs and MSA
Much of Shenzhen's battery cargo is made in Dongguan, home to more than 500 battery firms. In September 2026 Dongguan Customs and Dongguan MSA began sharing dangerous-goods packaging certificate data, described as a first in China, and committed to joint action against concealed and false declarations. The one-box route to Yantian, which had moved 409 containers by then, rests on that same record.
What Anxin does: We compare the packaging certificate with the MSA cargo report (UN number, packaging code, number of packages) before either goes in, so the shared data shows no gap.
- Sea corridor
Mediterranean services are back in the Red Sea more than others
Sea-Intelligence data for September 2026 show 57% of Asia–Mediterranean services routed via the Red Sea, against 27% for North Europe. For East Port Said the Suez routing is therefore the likely one, and it runs through Bab el-Mandeb, which the JMIC rated SUBSTANTIAL on 24 September 2026: the Houthis describe their blockade as selective, and they now hold Perim Island in the channel.
What Anxin does: We ask the carrier which routing its service to East Port Said uses and name it on the quote, together with any war-risk or emergency surcharge.
- Import country
No ACID on the bill of lading, no unloading
Egypt's Advance Cargo Information system needs a 19-digit ACID number, obtained by the Egyptian importer on Nafeza before the cargo leaves Shenzhen, on every shipping document including the bill of lading. Customs' own guidance is blunt: bills of lading without an ACID are not unloaded, and the goods are re-shipped out of Egypt at the carrier's expense.
What Anxin does: We do not release a booking for East Port Said 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
CargoX uploads 48 hours before arrival
Egypt puts part of the clearance work on the Chinese exporter: a verified CargoX account and, for sea cargo, invoice, bill of lading, packing list and certificate of origin uploaded at least 48 hours before the ship reaches East Port Said.
What Anxin does: We check with the shipper in Shenzhen that its CargoX account is verified before booking, and remind it to upload the document set as soon as the bill of lading is issued.
Documents & compliance
Checklist for Shenzhen → East Port Said
Test reports, safety data sheets and import certificates come from the shipper, factory and importer, not from Anxin; our part is to review them before booking.
At the Shenzhen end
- Confirmation from the carrier of the DG cut-off at Yantian or Shekou, rechecked in typhoon weeks
- 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)
- 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
For the shipping line
- 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 import into Egypt
- Importers Register status (GOEIC)
- Broker's power of attorney or Nafeza e-authorisation
Before you book
Send the file once, complete
Most delays on this route start with a document that exists but does not match: a UN number, a model name or a package count that differs between the Shenzhen filings, the carrier booking and the Egypt import file. We check the three against each other before the booking is confirmed.
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 Shenzhen to East Port Said, and who acts
| 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 |
| Packaging certificate and MSA filing disagree; shipment flagged | Dongguan → Yantian | Line-by-line comparison before filing | Anxin with the declarant |
| Security incident near Bab el-Mandeb changes the routing or adds surcharges | Southern Red Sea | Routing and surcharges stated in writing before booking | Carrier, checked by Anxin |
| 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 |
| CargoX documents not uploaded in time | Egyptian Customs (ACI) | Upload reminder when the B/L is issued | Shipper |
Questions
Questions about shipping from Shenzhen to East Port Said
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)
- Export dangerous goods packaging inspection: service guide (Chinese) (General Administration of Customs of China (Lanzhou Customs service guide))
Next step
From enquiry to import
- 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
- 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
- 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
- 4HandoverAt Shenzhen
- 5ImportClearance at East Port Said
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Shenzhen → East Port Said before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
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