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.
Europe · sea freight from Shenzhen
Shipping from Shenzhen to Izmit (Kocaeli)
Shenzhen to Izmit (Kocaeli)
South China Sea · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Dardanelles · Sea of Marmara · Bosporus
- ShenzhenChina origin
- South China Sea
- Malacca Strait
- Indian Ocean
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- Suez Canal
- Dardanelles
- Sea of Marmara
- Bosporus
- Izmit (Kocaeli)Turkey
This route runs out of Shenzhen's Yantian and Shekou terminals, then follows a Suez, Aegean and Bosporus passage into the Black Sea; at the far end is the port of Izmit (Kocaeli).
Türkiye wants the entry summary declaration 24 hours before the container is loaded in China. 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
- TAP membership + Çevre Uyum İzni
- TAREKS application
- CE declaration of conformity
Route profile
The Shenzhen → Izmit (Kocaeli) route in brief
Türkiye
Türkiye inspects battery imports through TAREKS before the customs declaration, and importers must be in the TAP collection system.
Where this route gets difficult
5 pain points from Shenzhen to Izmit (Kocaeli)
They run from the Shenzhen terminal through the voyage to Izmit (Kocaeli) and the Turkey import file.
- 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.
- Origin port
Factory stuffing in Dongguan, loading at Yantian: avoid a second opening
Much Shenzhen battery export is stuffed inland and trucked to the terminal. In May 2026 Yantian MSA and Dongguan MSA ran a cross-regional 'one-box' pilot: four battery containers were inspected jointly at the Dongguan factory and loaded at Yantian without being opened again. It shows that the inspection record made at the factory is what matters at the terminal.
What Anxin does: We ask at booking whether your factory and the terminal's MSA office can use the one-box arrangement, and we have stuffing photos, the packing certificate and the DG declaration match exactly, so the container is not held for re-inspection.
- Sea corridor
Suez first, and Bab el-Mandeb before that
The Black Sea is reached through Suez. Mediterranean-type services used the Red Sea routing 57% of the time in September 2026, and the JMIC rated Bab el-Mandeb SUBSTANTIAL, with the Houthis holding Perim Island in the channel.
What Anxin does: We ask the carrier which routing the service uses and name it on the quote.
- Import country
TAP membership, then a TAREKS environmental permit
Battery importers in Türkiye have to join TAP, the Ministry-authorised association for portable battery producers and importers, or its system. TAP's board decides within 30 days; only then can the importer apply through TAREKS for the Ministry's environmental compliance permit (Çevre Uyum İzni).
What Anxin does: Before booking we ask the Turkish importer for its TAP membership and permit status, so a first-time importer starts the 30-day process before the goods leave Shenzhen.
- Import country
Declaration of conformity and matching originals
Turkish clearance needs CE evidence where EU directives apply, an invoice in triplicate showing HS code and origin, an uncorrected certificate of origin and an original bill of lading with three copies, all describing the same goods.
What Anxin does: We check the declaration of conformity, invoice and certificate of origin against each other before the originals are sent to the importer in Turkey.
Documents & compliance
What to have ready: Shenzhen to Izmit (Kocaeli)
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.
Before loading in Shenzhen
- 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)
- Invoice in triplicate with HS code and origin; certificate of origin without corrections
- Battery type, quantity and weight per invoice line (for GEKAP)
For the shipping line
- Final DG manifest data ready before the vessel reaches the Turkish Straits
- Dangerous goods declaration with UN number (3480 / 3481 / 3090 / 3091), proper shipping name and packing instruction (P903, or P908/P911 for damaged)
- Lithium battery mark (SP188 cargo) or class 9 labels and placards
For the importer in Turkey
- Importer's TAP membership and Çevre Uyum İzni (TAREKS)
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 Turkey before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Izmit (Kocaeli).
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 → Izmit (Kocaeli)
| Risk | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container reopened at the terminal because records do not match | Factory → Yantian | Photos, packing certificate and DG declaration cross-checked before trucking | Anxin |
| Packaging certificate and MSA filing disagree; shipment flagged | Dongguan → Yantian | Line-by-line comparison before filing | Anxin with the declarant |
| Importer not in a collection system; no environmental permit | Turkish importer | TAP and permit status checked before booking | Importer |
Questions
Common questions on the Shenzhen → Izmit (Kocaeli) route
Membership of TAP (or its system), decided within 30 days, and then an environmental compliance permit applied for through TAREKS; GEKAP is also payable on batteries placed on the market.
A Sailing Plan 1 to the Turkish Straits VTS at least 24 hours before entry, including the dangerous cargo classes on board.
Yes, provided a certified packing inspector supervises the stuffing and signs the container packing certificate. Since May 2026 Yantian and Dongguan MSA have also piloted joint factory inspection so the container can be loaded at Yantian without reopening; we check whether your shipment can use it.
References
Where these points come from
- Türkiye: Import Requirements and Documentation (last published 2026-01-29) (International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce)
- Turkish Straits Maritime Traffic Regulation (English translation) (Republic of Türkiye (translation published by VDA))
- JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))
- Yantian MSA runs 'one-box' model for lithium battery sea exports (Chinese), 8 May 2026 (Shenzhen Development and Reform Commission (source: Shenzhen MSA))
- 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 Izmit (Kocaeli)
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Shenzhen → Izmit (Kocaeli) before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Shenzhen · Turkey ports
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