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Shipping from Tianjin to Melilla

Tianjin to Melilla

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

Sea corridor illustration: Tianjin to Melilla, 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, Sicily Channel to Melilla. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIASOUTHEAST ASIAAFRICACENTRAL ASIAINDIAN OCEAN Taiwan StraitSingapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri LankaBab-el-MandebSuez Canal TianjinCHINA ORIGIN MelillaSPAIN 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. Sicily Channel
  10. MelillaSpain
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.

Lithium batteries for Melilla go from North China through Tianjin Xingang. 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 the port of Melilla.

The Spanish side checks RII-PYA registration alongside the EU battery rules. Below are 6 route-specific points to plan for, what we do about each, and the documents to have ready before booking.

What we need to start

  • Bohai Bay winter ice
  • Tianjin Xingang export
  • EU declaration of conformity
  • RII-PYA number
  • Spanish-language safety information
Ask about this route Spain ports from Tianjin

Route profile

The Tianjin → Melilla 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.

Import country

Spain

Spain's RII-PYA number on invoices, quarterly data that counts batteries inside equipment, EU importer duties and ADR for the road leg.

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 → Melilla shipments get held up: 6 points

They run from the Tianjin terminal through the voyage to Melilla and the Spain import file.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Sea corridor

    Mediterranean services are back in the Red Sea more than others

    Sea-Intelligence data for September 2026 show 57% of Asia–Mediterranean services routed via the Red Sea, against 27% for North Europe. For Melilla the Suez routing is therefore the likely one, and it runs through Bab el-Mandeb, which the JMIC rated SUBSTANTIAL on 24 September 2026: the Houthis describe their blockade as selective, and they now hold Perim Island in the channel.

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

  4. Import country

    RII-PYA registration, done by the SCRAP or by the producer

    Spain's industry ministry keeps the battery register (RII-PYA). Every importer of batteries has to be registered and declared as a producer; a collective scheme may file for its members, otherwise the producer files online with an electronic signature or Cl@ve. The register number that comes back must be printed on the producer's invoices.

    What Anxin does: We ask the Spanish importer for its RII-PYA number and whether its SCRAP filed the registration, then carry the number on the documents we prepare for Melilla.

  5. 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.

  6. Import country

    Safety information in a language Spain accepts

    An importer has to ensure that batteries are accompanied by instructions and safety information in a language that end-users in Spain can easily understand, as the Member State determines. Inserts and carton print are much simpler to adjust before packing in China.

    What Anxin does: We ask the importer which language Spain requires and check carton and insert photos against it before loading.

Locator map of Melilla, SpainMelilla
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (35.32°N, 2.88°W).
Container ship alongside blue gantry cranes at the Juan Carlos I dock, Algeciras

Documents & compliance

Checklist for Tianjin → Melilla

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.

In Tianjin, before the box is loaded

  • Stuffing date, port-entry slot and DG cut-off at Tianjin agreed in that order
  • Customs packaging use-appraisal result for the dangerous goods packaging (with the maker's performance appraisal)
  • Container packing certificate signed by a certified packing inspector after supervised stuffing
  • 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)

For the shipping line

  • Routing (Red Sea or Cape) and any war-risk surcharge stated on the booking
  • Lithium battery mark (SP188 cargo) or class 9 labels and placards
  • Condition statement: new, used, damaged/defective (SP376) or for recycling (SP377)

At the Spain end

  • RII-PYA registration number of the Spanish producer
  • Label and QR-code status against the August 2026 and February 2027 dates
  • Haulier in Spain briefed with UN number, class 9 and tunnel code (E) for the road leg
An electric scooter parked by a wall
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

Risk table for Tianjin → Melilla

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
Document review runs past the vessel cut-off; cargo re-allocated to a later shipTianjin MSA reviewComplete document set filed days before cut-offAnxin with the declarant
Security incident near Bab el-Mandeb changes the routing or adds surchargesSouthern Red SeaRouting and surcharges stated in writing before bookingCarrier, checked by Anxin
Importer not registered in the RII-PYAImporter in SpainRegistration number confirmed before bookingImporter / SCRAP
Declaration of conformity missing or not in the required languageImporter in SpainDeclaration and CE photo collected before loadingManufacturer / importer

Questions

Common questions on the Tianjin → Melilla route

The importer, as producer, in the RII-PYA register. A collective scheme may register it on its behalf; otherwise registration is online with an electronic signature or Cl@ve. The registration number must appear on invoices.

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. Registro de Pilas y Acumuladores: preguntas frecuentes (Ministerio de Industria y Turismo)
  2. Registro de Pilas y Acumuladores (RII-PYA) (Ministerio de Industria y Turismo)
  3. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries (ELI) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  4. Inland transport of dangerous goods (summary of Directive 2008/68/EC) (EUR-Lex)
  5. JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))
  6. Tianjin Customs export dangerous goods service page: supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival (Tianjin Customs)
  7. Tianjin MSA opens a green channel for new-energy-vehicle shipments (Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) Administration)
  8. 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 Melilla
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Tianjin → Melilla

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

All destinations from Tianjin · Spain ports

A forklift loading goods into an open shipping container

Need Tianjin → Melilla reviewed?

Share the cargo facts; we review the route in writing.

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