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.
Europe · sea freight from Lianyungang
Lianyungang to Setubal
Yellow Sea · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Sicily Channel · Strait of Gibraltar
This route runs out of Lianyungang, where the MSA simplified 'new three' filings in 2024, then follows a Bab el-Mandeb and Suez passage into the Mediterranean; at the far end is the port of Setubal.
Portugal adds its SILiAmb register to the EU Battery Regulation duties. This page sets out 5 points specific to this route, how Anxin handles each one and which documents to prepare.
What we need to start
Route profile
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.
An annual SILiAmb declaration, a licensed management entity or individual system, and EU importer duties from the declaration of conformity to the importer's address on the battery.


Where this route gets difficult
In the order the cargo meets them: at the loading port, at sea, at Setubal and at customs in Portugal.
The China Meteorological Administration describes sea fog as a major marine hazard in the Yellow and Bohai Seas, mainly from April to July. At Lianyungang, as at Qingdao, fog can hold vessels at anchor, and a changed vessel means amended DG filings.
What Anxin does: In fog season we keep slack between stuffing and the DG cut-off and have the filing data ready to amend.
Services that avoid the Red Sea, 43% of the Mediterranean total, go round the Cape of Good Hope and re-enter through Gibraltar. SAMSA estimates that about 200 of the 576 containers lost at sea in 2024, 35% of the total, went overboard near the Cape.
What Anxin does: On Cape sailings we apply the CINS blocking and bracing checks strictly on stuffing photos before sealing.
The importer in Portugal carries the check: CE marking on the battery and an EU declaration of conformity, translated into the language Portugal asks for, have both been required since 18 August 2024 for batteries entering the EU market.
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 Portugal importer. We check that the documents exist and match the goods; we do not assess conformity.
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.
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 Portugal 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 Portugal importer; we do not test batteries.

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

Most delays on this route start with a document that exists but does not match: a UN number, a model name or a package count that differs between the Lianyungang filings, the carrier booking and the Portugal import file. We check the three against each other before the booking is confirmed.
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 | Where | Mitigation | Who acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy weather off South Africa on a Cape sailing | Cape of Good Hope | CINS stuffing checks | Packing site, checked by Anxin |
| Declaration of conformity missing or not in the required language | Importer in Portugal | Declaration and CE photo collected before loading | Manufacturer / importer |
| Storage system delivered without Annex V test file | Buyer in Portugal | Test documentation confirmed before booking | Manufacturer |
Questions
The CE marking on the battery and the manufacturer's EU declaration of conformity, which must be available in the language Portugal requires. Both have applied since 18 August 2024.
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.
Under its Notice No. 1 of 2024, the cargo side submits the DG safe-carriage declaration, the inspector-signed packing certificate, the packaging inspection certificate where the goods are packaged, and a power of attorney.
References
Next step
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We check carrier acceptance for Lianyungang → Setubal before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.
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