Europe · sea freight from Tianjin

Shipping from Tianjin to Pasaia

Tianjin to Pasaia

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

TianjinChina origin
Bohai Sea
Bohai Strait
Taiwan Strait
Malacca Strait
Indian Ocean
Bab-el-Mandeb
Suez Canal
Strait of Gibraltar
PasaiaSpain

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 voyage that may run through Suez as drawn or round the Cape, depending on the service; at the far end is the port of Pasaia.

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

Bohai Bay winter ice
Tianjin Xingang export
RII-PYA number
Spanish-language safety information
Consignee EORI

Ask about this route Spain ports from Tianjin

Route profile

How Tianjin → Pasaia differs from other lanes

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

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

Where this route gets difficult

Where Tianjin → Pasaia shipments get held up: 5 points

Listed from loading in Tianjin to import into Spain, each with what we do about it.

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.
Sea corridor
Drawn via Suez, sailed mostly via the Cape
The map on this page shows the corridor through Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez, but Sea-Intelligence figures for September 2026 put Red Sea routing on the Asia–Europe head-haul at 13–25%, with 27% for North Europe services and 57% for the Mediterranean. The service that calls at Pasaia decides between Suez and the Cape of Good Hope, and with it the distance, the waters and the possible transhipment ports.
What Anxin does: We ask the carrier to state the routing and any transhipment port on the booking confirmation, and we quote the two routings separately when both are on offer rather than mixing them.
Import country
The importer's name and address on the battery
A battery entering Spain has to identify its importer: name, registered trade name or trade mark, postal address and a contact point belong on the battery itself, or on the packaging or accompanying document when the battery is too small. That text is fixed at the factory, not at Pasaia.
What Anxin does: We pass the Spain importer's name and address block to the manufacturer before the goods are packed in China and check carton or battery photos for it before loading.
Import country
Safety documentation for stationary storage systems
Since 18 August 2024 a stationary battery energy storage system placed on the EU market must be safe in normal operation, and its technical documentation must show testing against the Annex V safety parameters, from thermal shock and short-circuit protection to over-discharge and thermal propagation. Buyers of ESS cabinets in Spain increasingly ask for that file before delivery.
What Anxin does: For ESS cabinets and racks bound for Spain we ask the manufacturer to confirm that the Annex V test documentation exists before booking and note the answer in the shipment file.
Import country
Mercury, cadmium and lead limits in portable batteries
Annex I of the Battery Regulation caps mercury at 0.0005 %, cadmium at 0.002 % and lead at 0.01 % by weight in portable batteries, and the lead limit has applied since 18 August 2024. Market surveillance in Spain can ask the importer to show that the goods meet these limits.
What Anxin does: We ask the manufacturer for its substance declaration or test report reference and file it with the shipping documents for the Spain importer; we do not test batteries.

Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (43.33°N, 1.93°W).

Blue container gantry cranes on a quay at the Port of Algeciras

Documents & compliance

Documents to line up for Tianjin → Pasaia

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

Substance declaration covering mercury, cadmium and lead limits
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)
Container packing certificate signed by a certified packing inspector after supervised stuffing
Transport-condition classification report where applicable

Carrier and voyage

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

At the Spain end

Haulier in Spain briefed with UN number, class 9 and tunnel code (E) for the road leg
RII-PYA registration number of the Spanish producer

An electric bicycle with its battery mounted on the frame

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 Spain before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Pasaia.

Carriers we book with

and 16 more

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 Pasaia, and who acts

Risk	Where	Mitigation	Who acts
Ice or cold spell slows berthing in mid-winter	Bohai Bay, Jan–Feb	Slack between stuffing and cut-off; berthing window reconfirmed	Carrier, monitored by Anxin
Service switches between Suez and Cape routing	Main voyage	Routing written on the booking; quotes kept separate per routing; packing assumes the longer voyage	Carrier, tracked by Anxin
Importer details missing from battery and packaging	Importer in Spain	Address block sent to the factory before packing	Manufacturer / importer
Storage system delivered without Annex V test file	Buyer in Spain	Test documentation confirmed before booking	Manufacturer

Questions

Common questions on the Tianjin → Pasaia route

Yes. Batteries incorporated in electrical and electronic equipment, removable or not, are registered and declared like loose batteries.

It depends on the service. In September 2026 most Asia–North Europe capacity still sailed round the Cape of Good Hope; Sea-Intelligence put the Red Sea share for North Europe vessels at 27%. We ask the carrier to confirm the routing on the booking and quote each routing separately.

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

Registro de Pilas y Acumuladores: preguntas frecuentes (Ministerio de Industria y Turismo)
Registro de Pilas y Acumuladores (RII-PYA) (Ministerio de Industria y Turismo)
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (Official Journal PDF) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
Inland transport of dangerous goods (summary of Directive 2008/68/EC) (EUR-Lex)
Tianjin MSA opens a green channel for new-energy-vehicle shipments (Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) Administration)
Sea ice arrives: what are the impacts? (Bohai and northern Yellow Sea, winter 2021/22) (China Meteorological Administration (from China Natural Resources News))
Export dangerous goods packaging inspection: service guide (Chinese) (General Administration of Customs of China (Lanzhou Customs service guide))

Next step

From enquiry to import

1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
4HandoverAt Tianjin
5ImportClearance at Pasaia

Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

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After you send it

We check carrier acceptance for Tianjin → Pasaia before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Tianjin · Spain ports

Trailers backed up to the loading docks of a warehouse

Need Tianjin → Pasaia reviewed?

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

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