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North America · sea freight from Xiamen

Shipping from Xiamen to Olympia

Xiamen to Olympia

Taiwan Strait · East China Sea · North Pacific · Strait of Juan de Fuca

Sea corridor illustration: Xiamen to Olympia, United States Simplified map with a curved corridor from Xiamen via Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, North Pacific, Strait of Juan de Fuca to Olympia. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINANORTH PACIFICPACIFIC OCEAN XiamenCHINA ORIGIN OlympiaUNITED STATES XiamenTAIWAN STRAITFUJIANTAIWANDEPARTURE AREA
  1. XiamenChina origin
  2. Taiwan Strait
  3. East China Sea
  4. North Pacific
  5. Strait of Juan de Fuca
  6. OlympiaUnited States
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 Olympia go from Fujian's battery makers through Xiamen port. On the way they face a North Pacific crossing with no chokepoint but real winter-storm exposure, and they arrive at the port of Olympia.

Olympia means US customs filings that are due while the container is still in Xiamen, and a supply chain CBP may ask to see. This page sets out 6 points specific to this route, how Anxin handles each one and which documents to prepare.

What we need to start

  • Taiwan Strait monsoon Oct–Apr
  • Xiamen export
  • ISF filer
  • Supply-chain tracing file
  • HTS code 8507.60
Ask about this route United States ports from Xiamen

Route profile

The Xiamen → Olympia route in brief

Sea corridor

Transpacific (North Pacific)

A great-circle route across the North Pacific, exposed to hurricane-force winter storms from October to April.

Import country

United States

Section 301 duty on Chinese lithium-ion batteries at 25% since January 2026, UFLPA scrutiny of lithium supply chains, ISF 24 hours before loading, and a US-only marking rule for SP188 packages.

Container cranes at port facilities in Haicang, Xiamen, seen across the water on a hazy day
A container ship under way off the Guatemalan coast

Where this route gets difficult

6 pain points from Xiamen to Olympia

They run from the Xiamen terminal through the voyage to Olympia and the United States import file.

  1. Origin port

    The Taiwan Strait's winter monsoon starts at the port

    Ships leaving Xiamen enter the Taiwan Strait straight away. A Chinese government weather account notes that the strait's funnel effect makes winds 1–2 Beaufort levels stronger than outside it, and that the winter and spring north-east monsoon brings force 7 or stronger winds on about two-thirds of days. Container ships are advised to secure lashing.

    What Anxin does: From October to April we apply the CINS blocking and bracing checks strictly on stuffing photos before sealing.

  2. Origin port

    Energy-storage units may go on multipurpose ships

    Xiamen's energy-storage transport guide 2.0 (August 2026) notes that some ESS containers are carried on multipurpose ships and requires a pre-voyage meeting with the terminal and lashing parties. It also lists the terminals with class 9 qualification: Xiamen Hyundai terminal, Yuanhai Tongda, and Haixiang berths 7–8.

    What Anxin does: For ESS units we confirm early whether the carrier offers container-ship or multipurpose carriage, which qualified terminal is used, and who attends the pre-voyage meeting.

  3. Sea corridor

    No chokepoint, but North Pacific storms

    The drawn corridor from Xiamen crosses the North Pacific, with no canal and no Red Sea exposure. Weather is the risk instead. In November 2020 the ONE Apus, sailing from Yantian to Long Beach, suffered a stack collapse in a storm about 1,600 nautical miles north-west of Hawaii; its owners reported that more than 1,900 containers could be lost or damaged, including up to 40 hazmat boxes.

    What Anxin does: For winter sailings especially, we review blocking and bracing on stuffing photos against the CINS points before sealing, and make sure the DG declaration is complete, so a damaged box can be identified and handled correctly.

  4. Import country

    UFLPA: lithium became a high-priority sector in August 2025

    DHS added lithium to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act high-priority sectors in August 2025. By then CBP had stopped more than 16,700 shipments for UFLPA examination. For battery importers the practical effect is that CBP can ask where cells, cathode and lithium compounds came from, and a shipment waits while the importer answers.

    What Anxin does: We tell the importer at quotation stage that supply-chain tracing may be requested, and keep manufacturer names and addresses consistent across invoice, packing list and ISF so the paper trail does not contradict itself.

  5. Import country

    Washington battery stewardship starts in 2027

    From 1 January 2027 producers selling covered batteries or battery-containing products in or into Washington must be in an approved stewardship plan through a battery stewardship organization, or they may not sell there (RCW 70A.555). From 1 July 2027 retailers may not stock portable batteries unless the producer certifies it participates.

    What Anxin does: When cargo through Olympia is sold in Washington, we flag the 2027 stewardship requirement to the importer at quotation so that retailer certification is in place in time.

  6. Import country

    Button and coin cells: Reese's Law

    Consumer products containing button or coin cells manufactured or imported after 19 March 2024 must meet the UL 4200A-2023 performance and warning-label rules adopted as 16 CFR part 1263, and battery packaging labels have been mandatory since 21 September 2024. The importer also needs a certificate citing the rule.

    What Anxin does: When a shipment for Olympia includes products with button or coin cells, we ask for the certificate and photos of the battery compartment warnings before booking.

Locator map of Olympia, United StatesOlympia
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (47.05°N, 122.90°W).
Container ship being unloaded under red gantry cranes in Vancouver

Documents & compliance

Checklist for Xiamen → Olympia

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

In Xiamen, before the box is loaded

  • For ESS: carriage type (container ship or multipurpose), class 9 terminal and pre-voyage meeting confirmed
  • 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)
  • 'Made in China' marking on articles or containers checked on photos

For the carrier and the voyage

  • Stuffing photos before, during and after packing, checked for blocking and bracing
  • 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

For import into United States

  • Supply-chain tracing file for cells and lithium inputs, in case of a UFLPA request
  • 24-hour emergency response number (and provider reference) for the US road leg
  • Importer of record and the licensed customs broker who will file the entry
Two power-tool battery packs side by side
Before you book

Match the details first

We line up UN numbers, model names and package counts across the Xiamen filings, the booking with the carrier and the documents for United States before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Olympia.

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 Xiamen → Olympia

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Cargo shift in winter monsoon seasTaiwan Strait, Oct–AprCINS blocking and bracing checked on photosPacking site, checked by Anxin
ESS unit arrives at a terminal without class 9 qualificationXiamen portQualified terminal confirmed at bookingAnxin with the carrier
Stack collapse or cargo shift in a North Pacific stormMid-PacificBlocking and bracing checked before sealing; complete DG data for incident responsePacking site / carrier, checked by Anxin
UFLPA detention pending supply-chain evidenceCBP at entryImporter prepares tracing documents before shipping; consistent manufacturer data on all documentsImporter

Questions

Questions about shipping from Xiamen to Olympia

For lithium-ion batteries classified in HTSUS 8507.60.0020 and entered from 1 January 2026, USTR set the Section 301 additional duty at 25%; EV traction batteries in 8507.60.0010 have been at 25% since 2024. Other duties can apply on top. The importer's customs broker confirms the classification and total duty; we make sure the invoice gives the broker enough detail to do so.

Weather is the main risk on this crossing: NOAA recorded hurricane-force North Pacific storms from October to April, most often in December. We tighten the packing checks for those sailings.

Yes. Xiamen MSA reported 104 ESS containers of 36 tonnes each loaded for Houston in June 2026. Xiamen's ESS guide 2.0 requires a pre-voyage meeting and use of a class 9 qualified terminal.

References

Official sources for this page

  1. 19 CFR 134.11: Country of origin marking required (Legal Information Institute (e-CFR text))
  2. Section 301 Modifications Determination (Federal Register notice, Sept 2024) (Office of the U.S. Trade Representative)
  3. 49 CFR 171.25 – Additional requirements for the use of the IMDG Code (eCFR / PHMSA)
  4. 49 CFR 172.604: Emergency response telephone number (eCFR / PHMSA)
  5. DHS designates steel, copper, lithium, caustic soda and red dates as UFLPA high-priority sectors (19 Aug 2025) (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
  6. Hurricane force extratropical cyclones observed using QuikSCAT (Mariners Weather Log 49-1) (NOAA Ocean Prediction Center)
  7. Container ship ONE Apus; North Pacific Ocean (incident record) (NOAA IncidentNews)
  8. Xiamen port energy-storage battery transport safety guide 2.0 (Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce)
  9. Xiamen MSA measures for energy-storage battery exports (Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce)

Next step

From enquiry to import

  1. 1EnquiryCargo, origin, destination
  2. 2Documents checkUN 38.3, SDS, packing
  3. 3BookingAfter carrier acceptance
  4. 4HandoverAt Xiamen
  5. 5ImportClearance at Olympia
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Xiamen → Olympia

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

All destinations from Xiamen · United States ports

Trailers backed up to the loading docks of a warehouse

Need Xiamen → Olympia reviewed?

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