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Europe · sea freight from Dalian

Shipping from Dalian to Horta

Dalian to Horta

Yellow Sea · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Sicily Channel · Strait of Gibraltar

Sea corridor illustration: Dalian to Horta, Portugal Simplified map with a curved corridor from Dalian via Yellow Sea, Taiwan Strait, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Sicily Channel, Strait of Gibraltar to Horta. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIAAFRICAEUROPECENTRAL ASIAINDIAN OCEANNORTH ATLANTIC Taiwan StraitSingapore / MalaccaBab-el-MandebSuez CanalGibraltar DalianCHINA ORIGIN HortaPORTUGAL DalianBOHAI SEASHANDONGDEPARTURE AREA
  1. DalianChina origin
  2. Yellow Sea
  3. Taiwan Strait
  4. Malacca Strait
  5. Indian Ocean
  6. Bab-el-Mandeb
  7. Suez Canal
  8. Sicily Channel
  9. Strait of Gibraltar
  10. HortaPortugal
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 Horta go from Liaoning through Dalian's Dayaowan terminals. 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 Horta.

The Portuguese side adds SILiAmb registration to the EU battery rules. 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

  • Dalian Dayaowan export
  • Winter ice & spring fog
  • Portuguese-language safety information
  • Consignee EORI
  • EU declaration of conformity
Ask about this route Portugal ports from Dalian

Route profile

The Dalian → Horta route in brief

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

Portugal

SILiAmb registration with APA and an annual declaration, a licensed management entity or approved individual system, and the EU-wide battery and ICS2 duties.

Blue harbour crane booms above a quay building in Dalian harbour
A loaded container ship on the horizon

Where this route gets difficult

5 points to plan for on the Dalian → Horta route

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

  1. Origin port

    Misdeclaration is the problem Dalian's MSA names first

    Dayaowan MSA reported in April 2024 that omissions and misdeclarations of lithium battery cargo were frequent because the rules are complex. Its answer was a dedicated desk and hotline, priority handling for EV batteries, and AI comparison of documents to cut down container openings: a comparison that flags any gap between the declaration and the paperwork behind it.

    What Anxin does: We reconcile the UN number, classification, packing group, quantity and SDS across every document before filing, which is exactly what an automated comparison will test.

  2. Sea corridor

    Suez is the likelier routing for Horta

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

  3. Import country

    Annex V testing for stationary energy storage

    Stationary battery energy storage systems placed on the EU market since 18 August 2024 must be safe in normal operation, with technical documentation showing tests against the Annex V parameters, including thermal shock, short-circuit protection, over-discharge and thermal propagation. ESS buyers in Portugal increasingly ask for that file before delivery.

    What Anxin does: For ESS cabinets and racks bound for Portugal we ask the manufacturer to confirm that the Annex V test documentation exists before booking and note the answer in the shipment file.

  4. Import country

    APA's SILiAmb register and an annual declaration

    Importers placing batteries on the market in Portugal register with the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) on SILiAmb and submit an annual declaration by 31 March that includes batteries built into other products. They meet their responsibility through a licensed management entity such as Electrão, or through an individual system authorised by APA.

    What Anxin does: We ask the Portuguese importer for its APA registration and management entity before booking, and list battery weights separately so its declaration is easy.

  5. Import country

    Substance limits for portable batteries

    For portable batteries, Annex I sets maximum levels of 0.0005 % mercury, 0.002 % cadmium and 0.01 % lead by weight, the lead limit applying since 18 August 2024. The importer in Portugal may be asked by market surveillance to demonstrate compliance.

    What Anxin does: We ask the manufacturer for its substance declaration or test report reference and file it with the shipping documents for the Portugal importer; we do not test batteries.

Locator map of Horta, PortugalHorta
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (38.53°N, 28.63°W).
Container ship alongside blue gantry cranes at the Juan Carlos I dock, Algeciras

Documents & compliance

Documents to line up for Dalian → Horta

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 Dalian, before the box is loaded

  • UN number, class, quantity and SDS reconciled across all documents before the Dalian filing
  • 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

Carrier and voyage

  • Routing (Red Sea or Cape) and any war-risk surcharge stated on the booking
  • Consignee EORI and HS-level description to the ENS filer before loading
  • UN 38.3 test summary for every cell and battery type

For import into Portugal

  • APA (SILiAmb) registration and management entity of the Portuguese producer
  • Haulier in Portugal briefed with UN number, class 9 and tunnel code (E) for the road leg
  • Label and QR-code status against the August 2026 and February 2027 dates
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 Dalian filings, the booking with the carrier and the documents for Portugal before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Horta.

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 Dalian → Horta

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Declaration flagged by document comparison; container openedDayaowanCross-document reconciliation before filingAnxin 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 on SILiAmbImporter in PortugalRegistration confirmed before bookingImporter
Storage system delivered without Annex V test fileBuyer in PortugalTest documentation confirmed before bookingManufacturer

Questions

Dalian → Horta: questions we are asked

It registers with APA on the SILiAmb platform, files an annual declaration by 31 March, and joins a licensed management entity or runs an APA-authorised individual system.

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.

Dayaowan MSA reported in 2024 that omissions and misdeclarations of lithium battery cargo were frequent because the rules are complex, and it uses AI document comparison. Consistent data across the declaration, SDS and packing documents is the main defence.

References

Official sources for this page

  1. Registo de Produtores de Produtos (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente)
  2. Registo de Produtores: Baterias (apresentação, 30.01.2026) (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente)
  3. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries (ELI) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  4. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (Official Journal PDF) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  5. Inland transport of dangerous goods (summary of Directive 2008/68/EC) (EUR-Lex)
  6. JMIC Update 099 to Advisory Note (Joint Maritime Information Center (via UKMTO))

Next step

From enquiry to import

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

Ask about Dalian → Horta

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

All destinations from Dalian · Portugal ports

Trailers backed up to the loading docks of a warehouse

Need Dalian → Horta reviewed?

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

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