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Europe · sea freight from Tianjin

Shipping from Tianjin to Las Palmas

Tianjin to Las Palmas

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

Sea corridor illustration: Tianjin to Las Palmas, Spain Simplified map with a curved corridor from Tianjin via Bohai Sea, Bohai Strait, Taiwan Strait, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Strait of Gibraltar to Las Palmas. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIASOUTHEAST ASIAAFRICAEUROPEINDIAN OCEANNORTH ATLANTIC Taiwan StraitSingapore / MalaccaBab-el-MandebSuez CanalGibraltar TianjinCHINA ORIGIN Las PalmasSPAIN 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. Strait of Gibraltar
  10. Las PalmasSpain
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.

From Tianjin to Las Palmas, cargo moves through Tianjin, with its Beijiang and Dongjiang terminals on the Bohai Bay, crosses a voyage that may run through Suez as drawn or round the Cape, depending on the service, and is discharged at the port of Las Palmas.

Spain wants the producer on the RII-PYA register, with its number on the invoice. 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

  • Factory-supervised loading
  • Bohai Bay winter ice
  • Spanish-language safety information
  • Consignee EORI
  • EU declaration of conformity
Ask about this route Spain ports from Tianjin

Route profile

The Tianjin → Las Palmas route in brief

Sea corridor

Asia – North & Atlantic Europe

The map shows the Suez corridor, but in September 2026 most Asia–North Europe capacity still sails round the Cape of Good Hope.

Import country

Spain

RII-PYA registration with its number on every invoice, quarterly market data including batteries inside equipment, and the EU-wide CE and label duties.

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

Where this route gets difficult

5 pain points from Tianjin to Las Palmas

In the order the cargo meets them: at the loading port, at sea, at Las Palmas and at customs in Spain.

  1. 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.

  2. Sea corridor

    Cape waters saw about a third of 2024's container losses

    Round-Africa routing puts battery containers through South African waters. Of the 576 containers the World Shipping Council recorded as lost at sea in 2024, the South African Maritime Safety Authority estimates about 200, roughly 35%, went overboard near the Cape. In August 2024 alone, SAMSA reported 99 boxes lost from the CMA CGM Belem off Richards Bay and 46 from the MSC Antonio off Port St Johns in wintry weather.

    What Anxin does: When the booking goes via the Cape, we apply the CINS stuffing checks (gaps, blocking, wall clearance) more strictly and ask for photos at every stage of packing.

  3. Import country

    CE marking and a declaration of conformity in the right language

    Since 18 August 2024 a battery sold in the EU needs the CE marking and an EU declaration of conformity from its manufacturer. The declaration has to be available in the language Spain requires, and the importer is the one who must check both before the goods are released for sale.

    What Anxin does: We ask the manufacturer in China for the declaration of conformity and a photo of the CE marking on the battery or its packaging before loading, and pass them to the Spain importer. We check that the documents exist and match the goods; we do not assess conformity.

  4. Import country

    Battery label from August 2026, QR code from February 2027

    Two marking dates fall into current shipping plans for Spain: the general label from 18 August 2026 and the QR code from 18 February 2027, which for EV, LMT and larger industrial batteries has to open the battery passport.

    What Anxin does: Before booking we ask the Spain importer to confirm the battery category and whether the label and QR-code elements are already on the goods, and compare carton photos with that answer.

  5. Import country

    Supply-chain due diligence moved to August 2027

    The Battery Regulation's due diligence obligations on cobalt, lithium, nickel and natural graphite were postponed by Regulation (EU) 2025/1561 and now apply from 18 August 2027, with Commission guidelines due by 26 July 2026. Buyers in Spain are already asking suppliers for the supply-chain data they will need.

    What Anxin does: We pass the Spain buyer's due diligence questions to the manufacturer and keep their answers with the shipment file; the policy itself remains the producer's responsibility.

Locator map of Las Palmas, SpainLas Palmas
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (28.15°N, 15.42°W).
Container ship alongside blue gantry cranes at the Juan Carlos I dock, Algeciras

Documents & compliance

Documents to line up for Tianjin → Las Palmas

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.

In Tianjin, before the box is loaded

  • Packaging use-appraisal certificate issued before the MSA cargo report is filed
  • EU declaration of conformity and CE marking photo from the manufacturer
  • Importer name, trade name and postal address printed on battery or packaging
  • Annex V safety documentation confirmed for stationary storage systems
  • Substance declaration covering mercury, cadmium and lead limits

For the carrier and the voyage

  • Routing (Suez or Cape of Good Hope) and any transhipment port stated on the booking confirmation
  • 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 Spain

  • Label and QR-code status against the August 2026 and February 2027 dates
  • Instructions and safety information in the language Spain requires
  • Haulier in Spain briefed with UN number, class 9 and tunnel code (E) for the road leg
A cordless drill with its battery pack attached
Before you book

One consistent file

A document that is present but inconsistent holds a booking as surely as a missing one: the UN number, model name or carton count reads differently in the Tianjin export filings, the carrier booking and the Spain import papers. We compare all three before confirming space.

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
Heavy weather off South AfricaCape of Good HopeCINS stuffing and blocking checks before sealingPacking site, checked by Anxin
Declaration of conformity missing or not in the required languageImporter in SpainDeclaration and CE photo collected before loadingManufacturer / importer
Stock shipped without the label due from August 2026Importer in SpainLabel status confirmed before bookingManufacturer / importer

Questions

Common questions on the Tianjin → Las Palmas route

ADR, which the EU applies to domestic journeys through Directive 2008/68/EC. UN 3480 is class 9, transport category 2, with tunnel restriction code (E).

Ships of 5,000 GT and above calling at EU ports are in the EU Emissions Trading System, covering 50% of the emissions of a voyage from outside the EU. Lines must surrender allowances for 70% of 2025 emissions and 100% from 2027, and may pass the cost on as a surcharge.

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

Regulations and port sources cited

  1. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries (ELI) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  2. Regulation (EU) 2025/1561 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 as regards due diligence obligations (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  3. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (Official Journal PDF) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  4. Inland transport of dangerous goods (summary of Directive 2008/68/EC) (EUR-Lex)
  5. Search on for containers lost overboard off South Africa's Indian Ocean coast (South African Maritime Safety Authority)
  6. Reducing emissions from the shipping sector (European Commission (DG Climate Action))
  7. Tianjin MSA opens a green channel for new-energy-vehicle shipments (Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) Administration)
  8. Tianjin port 2025 cross-border trade facilitation measures (Tianjin Municipal Government (tjjz.gov.cn))
  9. 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 Las Palmas
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Tianjin → Las Palmas

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

All destinations from Tianjin · Spain ports

A forklift moving palletised cartons in a warehouse

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