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South & Southeast Asia · sea freight from Shenzhen

Shipping from Shenzhen to Vizhinjam

Shenzhen to Vizhinjam

South China Sea · Malacca Strait · Andaman Sea · Indian Ocean

Sea corridor illustration: Shenzhen to Vizhinjam, India Simplified map with a curved corridor from Shenzhen via South China Sea, Malacca Strait, Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean to Vizhinjam. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. INDIASOUTHEAST ASIABORNEO South China SeaSingapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri Lanka ShenzhenCHINA ORIGIN VizhinjamINDIA ShenzhenSOUTH CHINA SEAGUANGDONGDEPARTURE AREA
  1. ShenzhenChina origin
  2. South China Sea
  3. Malacca Strait
  4. Andaman Sea
  5. Indian Ocean
  6. VizhinjamIndia
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.

Lithium batteries for Vizhinjam go from Dongguan and Shenzhen factories via Yantian, where the one-box route had moved 409 battery containers by September 2026. On the way they face the Malacca Strait and then the Indian Ocean, and they arrive at the port of Vizhinjam.

India adds BIS registration for lithium cells and batteries, checked online by customs. 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
  • BIS CRS
  • CPCB EPR
  • Advance Bill of Entry
Ask about this route India ports from Shenzhen

Route profile

How Shenzhen → Vizhinjam differs from other lanes

Origin port

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.

Sea corridor

Asia – Indian Ocean

After the Malacca Strait comes the Indian Ocean, where the south-west monsoon and two cyclone seasons decide the pace.

Yantian port area in Shenzhen seen from the hills, with container berths along the bay
A container ship under way off the Guatemalan coast

Where this route gets difficult

5 pain points from Shenzhen to Vizhinjam

Loading port first, then the sea leg, then Vizhinjam and the India market.

  1. Origin port

    Dongguan's packaging certificate data is shared

    Dongguan, home to more than 500 battery companies, supplies much of the cargo leaving Shenzhen. Since September 2026 Dongguan Customs and Dongguan MSA share dangerous-goods packaging certificate data, described as a first in China, and act jointly against concealed and false declarations; the one-box route to Yantian, 409 containers by then, relies on the 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.

  2. Sea corridor

    Many Indian-bound boxes relay through Colombo

    Colombo handled a record 8.29 million TEU in 2025, about 81% of it transhipment, and roughly 45% of that transhipment is linked to Indian trade. A container for Vizhinjam may well be discharged in Colombo and reloaded onto a feeder, so the DG declaration and the booking have to cover both vessels.

    What Anxin does: We ask the carrier at booking whether the service to Vizhinjam relays in Colombo or elsewhere, and check that the DG acceptance covers the feeder leg too.

  3. Import country

    The Bill of Entry is due the day before arrival

    Indian customs expect the Bill of Entry by the end of the day before the vessel arrives at Vizhinjam; it can be filed up to 30 days ahead, and late filing attracts charges. The BIS and DG details must be ready by then.

    What Anxin does: We send the importer's broker the invoice, packing list and BIS details as soon as the ship sails from Shenzhen, so the Bill of Entry can be filed early.

  4. Import country

    The south-west monsoon reaches the west coast in June

    The India Meteorological Department dates the south-west monsoon's arrival over Kerala to around 1 June (4 June in 2026), after which it moves north and covers the whole country by about mid-July. From then until the season ends, arrivals at Vizhinjam meet monsoon rain on the quay and on the roads inland.

    What Anxin does: For monsoon-season arrivals at Vizhinjam we ask for cartons with moisture protection and tell the consignee to plan unstuffing under cover.

  5. Import country

    BIS registration for lithium cells and batteries

    Lithium-ion cells and batteries are under BIS's Compulsory Registration Scheme (IS 16046 Part 2). The manufacturer needs its own registration, and the R-number goes into the Bill of Entry at Vizhinjam; batteries without it cannot be cleared.

    What Anxin does: Before booking we ask for the manufacturer's BIS R-number and check that it covers the models and factory named in the shipment.

Locator map of Vizhinjam, IndiaVizhinjam
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (8.38°N, 76.99°E).
Container cranes of the Mumbai harbour area seen across the water from Elephanta

Documents & compliance

Checklist for Shenzhen → Vizhinjam

These documents come from the shipper, the manufacturer and the importer. Anxin checks them against each other; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.

At the Shenzhen end

  • Confirmation from the carrier of the DG cut-off at Yantian or Shekou, rechecked in typhoon weeks
  • Container packing certificate signed by a certified packing inspector after supervised stuffing
  • 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)
  • BIS R-number checked against model and factory on crsbis.in

For the carrier and the voyage

  • Carrier's revised arrival reconfirmed in the cyclone season before booking onward transport
  • 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 India

  • Documents with the broker in time for the advance Bill of Entry
  • Importer's CPCB producer registration
An electric scooter parked by a wall
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 India 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

Risks on this route and who deals with them

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Packaging certificate and MSA filing disagree; shipment flaggedDongguan → YantianLine-by-line comparison before filingAnxin with the declarant
Late Bill of Entry chargesIndian port of dischargeDocuments sent at sailingImporter's broker

Questions

Questions about shipping from Shenzhen to Vizhinjam

Yes. They fall under BIS's Compulsory Registration Scheme (IS 16046 Part 2), and the R-number is declared in the Bill of Entry.

The India Meteorological Department describes two North Indian Ocean seasons, April–May and October–December, the latter being the main one.

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

Where these points come from

  1. BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme: sealed secondary lithium-ion cells and batteries, IS 16046 (Part 2) (Bureau of Indian Standards CRS portal)
  2. Circular 08/2021-Customs: clarifications on legislative changes in section 46 (CBIC (TaxGuru copy))
  3. CBIC Instruction 27/2025-Customs: validation of BIS registration at time of clearance (CBIC (copy via CAalley))
  4. Frequently asked questions under Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 (Central Pollution Control Board)
  5. Customs Act 1962, section 46 (entry of goods on importation) (India Code)
  6. Onset and advance of monsoon (India Meteorological Department)
  7. Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala, today the 4 June, 2026 (India Meteorological Department)
  8. Frequently asked questions on tropical cyclones (India Meteorological Department, RSMC New Delhi)
  9. Port of Colombo records historic high of 8.29 million TEUs in 2025 (Sri Lanka Ports Authority)
  10. Forecasting yearly number of tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong (tropical cyclone season June–October, most active July–September) (Hong Kong Observatory)
  11. Export dangerous goods packaging inspection: service guide (Chinese) (General Administration of Customs of China (Lanzhou Customs service guide))

Next step

From enquiry to import

  1. 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
  2. 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
  3. 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
  4. 4HandoverAt Shenzhen
  5. 5ImportClearance at Vizhinjam
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Shenzhen → Vizhinjam

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 Shenzhen → Vizhinjam before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Shenzhen · India ports

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