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 Tianjin
Shipping from Tianjin to Alexandria
Tianjin to Alexandria
Bohai Sea · Bohai Strait · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Mediterranean Sea
- TianjinChina origin
- Bohai Sea
- Bohai Strait
- Taiwan Strait
- Malacca Strait
- Indian Ocean
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- Suez Canal
- Mediterranean Sea
- AlexandriaEgypt
Lithium batteries for Alexandria go through Tianjin, with its Beijiang and Dongjiang terminals on the Bohai Bay. On the way they face a Suez corridor that Mediterranean services are using again more than any other Asia–Europe lane, 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. The 6 points below are particular to this lane; each comes with what we do and the paperwork it touches.
What we need to start
- Tianjin Xingang export
- Factory-supervised loading
- Importers Register entry (GOEIC)
- DG manifest 48 h before berthing
- Onward transport within 7 days
Route profile
What sets Tianjin → Alexandria apart
Alexandria and El Dekheila
A DG manifest 48 hours before berthing, Civil Protection approval to discharge, and at most 7 days in port for dangerous-goods containers.
Where this route gets difficult
What to watch between Tianjin and Alexandria: 6 points
Loading port first, then the sea leg, then Alexandria and the Egypt market.
- Origin port
A slow document review at Tianjin can mean a missed vessel
Tianjin MSA itself said in July 2026 that, under the traditional review model, long document reviews often made firms miss the vessel's document cut-off, leaving cargo in port to be re-allocated to another ship. Its new fast-track green channel (appointment-based, more than 50% faster, with a fixed document list) is for new-energy-vehicle cargo; battery shipments should not assume they qualify.
What Anxin does: We submit the cargo report with the full document set (safe-carriage declaration, SDS, packing certificate, packaging certificate) days before the cut-off rather than on the day, and treat any MSA query as same-day work.
- Origin port
At Tianjin the port slot is booked before the truck leaves the factory
Tianjin Customs runs a 'supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival' model for dangerous goods: officers oversee stuffing at the factory, the declaration goes in early through the single window, and the container enters the port in a slot booked on the customs–port platform and goes straight to the ship. Any inspection happens in closed yards inside the Beijiang and Dongjiang terminals. The time saved depends on the stuffing date, the slot and the declared data all matching.
What Anxin does: We fix the stuffing date against the vessel's DG cut-off first, then book the entry slot, and check that the declaration, the packing certificate and the container number agree before the truck leaves, so the box is not diverted to an inspection yard for a data mismatch.
- 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 exporter must be verified on CargoX
Under ACI the foreign exporter, here the Chinese shipper, has to register and be verified on the CargoX platform, and for sea freight must upload the commercial invoice, bill of lading, packing list and certificate of origin at least 48 hours before the vessel arrives. A shipper that has never exported to Egypt needs time to complete that verification.
What Anxin does: We check with the shipper in Tianjin 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.
- Import country
The broker needs a registered power of attorney or a Nafeza authorisation
Under Customs Law No. 207 of 2020 and its Executive Regulations, a broker can only clear a private-sector shipment in Egypt with an official power of attorney through the Real Estate Registry or an electronic authorisation on Nafeza. Without it the broker at Alexandria cannot act for the importer, however complete the ACI file is.
What Anxin does: We ask the importer which broker will clear the container and whether its Nafeza authorisation is in place before the ship arrives.
Documents & compliance
Documents to line up for Tianjin → Alexandria
Anxin reviews documents supplied by the shipper, manufacturer and importer; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.
In Tianjin, before the box is loaded
- Stuffing date, port-entry slot and DG cut-off at Tianjin agreed in that order
- 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
For the shipping line
- Routing (Red Sea or Cape) and any war-risk surcharge stated on the booking
- Condition statement: new, used, damaged/defective (SP376) or for recycling (SP377)
- UN 38.3 test summary for every cell and battery type
At the Egypt end
- Clearance and haulage lined up to leave the port within 7 days
- Importers Register status (GOEIC)
Before you book
Match the details first
We line up UN numbers, model names and package counts across the Tianjin 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
Risks on this route and who deals with them
| Risk | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document review runs past the vessel cut-off; cargo re-allocated to a later ship | Tianjin MSA review | Complete document set filed days before cut-off | Anxin with the declarant |
| Box sent to the terminal inspection yard because declared data do not match | Beijiang / Dongjiang terminals | Declaration, packing certificate and container number cross-checked before trucking | Anxin |
| 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 |
| CargoX documents not uploaded in time | Egyptian Customs (ACI) | Upload reminder when the B/L is issued | Shipper |
Questions
Common questions on the Tianjin → Alexandria route
Under Decision No. 2171/2020 the Civil Protection Administration may allow dangerous-goods containers to stay no more than 7 days before transfer to an external facility.
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.
The green channel Tianjin MSA announced in July 2026 is for new-energy-vehicle cargo. For battery containers we plan on the normal review and file early, because Tianjin MSA has said long reviews under the traditional model often cost firms their vessel cut-off.
References
Where these points come from
- ACI: frequently asked questions (Egyptian Customs Authority)
- JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))
- Tianjin Customs export dangerous goods service page: supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival (Tianjin Customs)
- Tianjin MSA opens a green channel for new-energy-vehicle shipments (Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) Administration)
Next step
From enquiry to import
- 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
- 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
- 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
- 4HandoverAt Tianjin
- 5ImportClearance at Alexandria
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After you send it
We check carrier acceptance for Tianjin → Alexandria before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
All destinations from Tianjin · Egypt ports
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