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Africa · sea freight from Tianjin

Shipping from Tianjin to El Dekheila

Tianjin to El Dekheila

Bohai Sea · Bohai Strait · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Mediterranean Sea

Sea corridor illustration: Tianjin to El Dekheila, Egypt Simplified map with a curved corridor from Tianjin via Bohai Sea, Bohai Strait, Taiwan Strait, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea to El Dekheila. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIASOUTHEAST ASIAAFRICASOUTH CHINA SEA Taiwan StraitSingapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri LankaBab-el-Mandeb TianjinCHINA ORIGIN El DekheilaEGYPT TianjinBOHAI SEAYELLOW SEASHANDONGDEPARTURE AREA
  1. TianjinChina origin
  2. Bohai Sea
  3. Bohai Strait
  4. Taiwan Strait
  5. Malacca Strait
  6. Indian Ocean
  7. Bab-el-Mandeb
  8. Suez Canal
  9. Mediterranean Sea
  10. El DekheilaEgypt
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.

This route runs from North China through Tianjin Xingang, then follows a Bab el-Mandeb and Suez passage into the Mediterranean; at the far end is Alexandria, where the DG manifest is due 48 hours before berthing.

Egypt requires a 19-digit ACID number on the bill of lading before the cargo leaves China. 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

  • Tianjin Xingang export
  • Factory-supervised loading
  • ACID number on the B/L
  • Exporter verified on CargoX
  • Importers Register entry (GOEIC)
Ask about this route Egypt ports from Tianjin

Route profile

The Tianjin → El Dekheila route in brief

Origin port

Tianjin (Xingang)

North China's main container gateway, where Tianjin Customs lets DG containers be inspected at the factory and loaded on arrival within a booked port slot, and where the Bohai Bay freezes at its edges in mid-winter.

Sea corridor

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.

Container gantry cranes at a Tianjin port container terminal
A container ship under way off the Guatemalan coast

Where this route gets difficult

Where Tianjin → El Dekheila shipments get held up: 5 points

They run from the Tianjin terminal through the voyage to El Dekheila and the Egypt import file.

  1. Origin port

    Tianjin's supervised factory loading and port slots

    Under Tianjin Customs' 'supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival' model, officers supervise stuffing at the factory, the declaration is lodged early through the single window, and the box enters the port in a slot booked on the customs–port platform before going straight to the ship; inspections take place in closed yards at the Beijiang and Dongjiang terminals. The gain holds only if stuffing date, slot and declared data agree.

    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.

  2. Origin port

    Packaging appraisal is still the first step at Tianjin

    Export dangerous-goods packaging must pass use appraisal in China before the goods can leave. Tianjin port's 2025 measures shortened appraisal time for lithium battery exports through quick release, and Tianjin Port Group handles lithium DG containers, but without the appraisal certificate the rest of the filing cannot proceed.

    What Anxin does: We check at quotation that the packaging maker has its performance appraisal and apply for the use appraisal as soon as the packing is fixed, so the certificate is in hand before the MSA filing.

  3. Sea corridor

    Suez is the likelier routing for El Dekheila

    Asia–Mediterranean services used the Red Sea 57% of the time in September 2026 according to Sea-Intelligence, compared with 27% for North Europe, so a box for El Dekheila most probably goes via Suez and through Bab el-Mandeb. The JMIC rated that strait SUBSTANTIAL on 24 September 2026; the Houthis call their blockade selective and now hold Perim Island in the channel.

    What Anxin does: We ask the carrier which routing its service to El Dekheila uses and name it on the quote, together with any war-risk or emergency surcharge.

  4. Destination port

    IMDG labels visible, and a manifest sticker on mixed boxes

    The Alexandria regulation requires IMDG warning labels and classification marks to be displayed prominently on dangerous-goods containers, and a container holding several different goods has to carry a sticker showing its cargo manifest for the port authorities. A consolidated box of different battery types needs that sticker.

    What Anxin does: We check the class 9 placards on all four sides in the sealed-container photos and, for mixed loads, attach the manifest sticker before the box leaves Tianjin.

  5. Import country

    The ACID number has to exist before sailing

    For El Dekheila, 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 El Dekheila until the importer has sent the ACID number, and we check it appears on the bill of lading draft, invoice and packing list.

Locator map of El Dekheila, EgyptEl Dekheila
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (31.14°N, 29.81°E).
Early-morning panorama of the Port of Durban with container cranes

Documents & compliance

Checklist for Tianjin → El Dekheila

Anxin reviews documents supplied by the shipper, manufacturer and importer; it does not issue test reports, safety data sheets or import certificates.

Before loading in Tianjin

  • Stuffing date, port-entry slot and DG cut-off at Tianjin agreed in that order
  • Packaging use-appraisal certificate issued before the MSA cargo report is filed
  • 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 carrier and the voyage

  • 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

  • Broker's power of attorney or Nafeza e-authorisation
  • Clearance and haulage lined up to leave the port within 7 days
Two power-tool battery packs side by side
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 Tianjin 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

Risks on this route and who deals with them

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Box sent to the terminal inspection yard because declared data do not matchBeijiang / Dongjiang terminalsDeclaration, packing certificate and container number cross-checked before truckingAnxin
Security incident near Bab el-Mandeb changes the routing or adds surchargesSouthern Red SeaRouting and surcharges stated in writing before bookingCarrier, checked by Anxin
Cargo not unloaded and re-shipped for a missing ACIDEgyptian port of dischargeACID checked on the B/L draft before releaseImporter / Anxin

Questions

Questions about shipping from Tianjin to El Dekheila

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.

Tianjin Customs offers a 'supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival' model: stuffing is supervised at the factory, the box enters the port in a booked slot and is loaded directly. Whether a given shipment can use it depends on the customs arrangement for the exporter and the port slot; we check both when you book.

References

Regulations and port sources cited

  1. ACI: frequently asked questions (Egyptian Customs Authority)
  2. JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))
  3. Tianjin Customs export dangerous goods service page: supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival (Tianjin Customs)
  4. Tianjin port 2025 cross-border trade facilitation measures (Tianjin Municipal Government (tjjz.gov.cn))
  5. 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 Tianjin
  5. 5ImportClearance at El Dekheila
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Tianjin → El Dekheila

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 Tianjin → El Dekheila before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Tianjin · Egypt ports

Trailers backed up to the loading docks of a warehouse

Need Tianjin → El Dekheila reviewed?

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