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Middle East · sea freight from Tianjin

Shipping from Tianjin to Haifa

Tianjin to Haifa

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

Sea corridor illustration: Tianjin to Haifa, Israel 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 Haifa. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIASOUTHEAST ASIAAFRICASOUTH CHINA SEA Taiwan StraitSingapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri LankaBab-el-MandebSuez Canal TianjinCHINA ORIGIN HaifaISRAEL 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. HaifaIsrael
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 the port of Haifa.

Israel accepts EU conformity for many products since 2025, but the importer still declares it and keeps a product file. The 5 points below are particular to this lane; each comes with what we do and the paperwork it touches.

What we need to start

  • Factory-supervised loading
  • Bohai Bay winter ice
  • Importer declaration and product file
  • Hebrew label artwork
  • HS classification (pre-ruling if unsure)
Ask about this route Israel ports from Tianjin

Route profile

How Tianjin → Haifa differs from other lanes

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.

Import country

Israel

In Israel the HS code decides which permits apply, and portable lithium batteries sit under SI 62133.

Container gantry cranes at a Tianjin port container terminal
A loaded container ship on the horizon

Where this route gets difficult

5 pain points from Tianjin to Haifa

In the order the cargo meets them: at the loading port, at sea, at Haifa and at customs in Israel.

  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

    Ice at the Haihe estuary in winter

    Every winter the Bohai Sea ices over, and the Haihe estuary at Tianjin is one of the harder-hit areas. For 2021/22 the national marine forecast centre put the peak ice period between mid-January and mid-February, with floating ice about 5 nautical miles out in Bohai Bay. Ice and cold slow port work just as the Chinese New Year peak arrives.

    What Anxin does: For January and February sailings from Tianjin we add slack between stuffing and the DG cut-off and confirm the vessel's berthing window with the carrier the week before loading.

  3. Sea corridor

    Suez is the likelier routing for Haifa

    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 Haifa 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 Haifa uses and name it on the quote, together with any war-risk or emergency surcharge.

  4. Import country

    SI 62133 for portable lithium batteries

    SI 62133 Part 2 is Israel's standard for secondary lithium cells and batteries for portable applications. Test reports to the IEC 62133-2 equivalent are the usual evidence, and the importer needs them before the goods reach Haifa.

    What Anxin does: We collect the IEC 62133-2 test report from the manufacturer with the UN 38.3 summary, and pass both to the importer before booking.

  5. Import country

    Hebrew labelling still applies

    Importing under the European reform does not remove Israeli marking rules: Hebrew labelling is still required. Cartons and inserts printed for another market need a Hebrew label before sale in Israel.

    What Anxin does: We ask the importer for its Hebrew label text and whether it will be applied in the factory or after arrival, and check carton photos before loading.

Locator map of Haifa, IsraelHaifa
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (32.82°N, 35.00°E).
Aerial view of Jebel Ali port basins and container berths in Dubai

Documents & compliance

Checklist for Tianjin → Haifa

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 Tianjin end

  • 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)
  • EU declaration of conformity and test reports from the manufacturer
  • Safety data sheet and dangerous goods safe-carriage declaration for the MSA cargo report
  • Customs packaging use-appraisal result for the dangerous goods packaging (with the maker's performance appraisal)

For the shipping line

  • Routing (Red Sea or Cape) and any war-risk surcharge stated on the booking
  • 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

At the Israel end

  • Hebrew label text and where it will be applied
  • Importer declaration and product file under the European reform
  • Israeli tariff code confirmed (pre-ruling if needed)
An electric scooter parked by a wall
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 Israel before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Haifa.

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 Tianjin to Haifa, and who acts

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
Ice or cold spell slows berthing in mid-winterBohai Bay, Jan–FebSlack between stuffing and cut-off; berthing window reconfirmedCarrier, monitored by Anxin
Security incident near Bab el-Mandeb changes the routing or adds surchargesSouthern Red SeaRouting and surcharges stated in writing before bookingCarrier, checked by Anxin

Questions

Common questions on the Tianjin → Haifa route

Under the reform in force since January 2025, many products can be imported on the basis of conformity with the adopted EU regulation, with an importer declaration and a product file; Hebrew labelling still applies.

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

Official sources for this page

  1. Israel: Import Requirements and Documentation (last published 2026-03-30) (International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce)
  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. Sea ice arrives: what are the impacts? (Bohai and northern Yellow Sea, winter 2021/22) (China Meteorological Administration (from China Natural Resources News))
  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 Haifa
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Tianjin → Haifa

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

All destinations from Tianjin · Israel ports

A truck hauling a teal shipping container on a motorway

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