Lithium battery freight focus Air · Sea · Land assessment Document-first planning
Shipment Status & Support

Europe · sea freight from Qingdao

Shipping from Qingdao to Sullom Voe

Qingdao to Sullom Voe

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

Sea corridor illustration: Qingdao to Sullom Voe, United Kingdom Simplified map with a curved corridor from Qingdao via Yellow Sea, Taiwan Strait, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Strait of Gibraltar, Irish Sea to Sullom Voe. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIAAFRICAEUROPESCANDINAVIAINDIAN OCEANNORTH ATLANTICPACIFIC OCEAN Taiwan StraitSingapore / MalaccaBab-el-MandebSuez CanalGibraltar QingdaoCHINA ORIGIN Sullom VoeUNITED KINGDOM QingdaoYELLOW SEASHANDONGJIANGSUDEPARTURE AREA
  1. QingdaoChina origin
  2. Yellow Sea
  3. Taiwan Strait
  4. Malacca Strait
  5. Indian Ocean
  6. Bab-el-Mandeb
  7. Suez Canal
  8. Strait of Gibraltar
  9. Irish Sea
  10. Sullom VoeUnited Kingdom
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 Sullom Voe go through Qingdao's Qianwan terminals. On the way they face a voyage that may run through Suez as drawn or round the Cape, depending on the service, and they arrive at the port of Sullom Voe.

The UK side asks for an S&S GB declaration, a battery producer registration and harbour notice. 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

  • Qianwan export
  • One-document pilot
  • S&S GB entry summary
  • English-language safety information
  • Consignee EORI
Ask about this route United Kingdom ports from Qingdao

Route profile

How Qingdao → Sullom Voe differs from other lanes

Origin port

Qingdao (Qianwan)

Qianwan exports from Shandong, where Qingdao MSA's one-document pilot cuts repeat filings for cargo moved between terminals by water.

Import country

United Kingdom

An S&S GB entry summary 24 hours before loading, UK battery producer registration with a BPRN, and 24-hour dangerous goods notice to the harbour master.

Aerial view over Qingdao's harbour front, with piers and the Dagang port area
A container ship under way off the Guatemalan coast

Where this route gets difficult

What to watch between Qingdao and Sullom Voe: 5 points

Listed from loading in Qingdao to import into United Kingdom, each with what we do about it.

  1. Origin port

    Moving between Qingdao terminals should not mean filing twice

    Since November 2024 Qingdao MSA's 'one-document, one-box' pilot has covered water-to-water transhipment of lithium batteries and other 'new three' cargo between Dagang and Qianwan: one outbound cargo report and at most one packing inspection inside the pilot ports. In the launch example, filings fell from three cargo plus three ship reports to one cargo plus two ship reports.

    What Anxin does: If your cargo is stuffed at a Dagang yard or reaches Qianwan by water, we check at booking whether it qualifies for the pilot and file once, so the box is not reopened between terminals.

  2. 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 Sullom Voe 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.

  3. Import country

    Road haulage from Sullom Voe under the carriage regulations

    Once the box is off the quay at Sullom Voe, the Carriage of Dangerous Goods Regulations 2009 apply: regulation 5 requires road carriage of dangerous goods in Great Britain to comply with ADR, subject to GB derogations. For UN 3480 that means class 9 documentation, marked packages and a haulier set up for ADR loads.

    What Anxin does: We give the UK haulier the UN number, class and package details from the sea dangerous goods declaration so the road paperwork from Sullom Voe matches what left Qingdao.

  4. Import country

    Harbour master notice a day ahead under DGHAR

    Under the Dangerous Goods in Harbour Areas Regulations 2016, dangerous goods may not enter a British harbour area unless the harbour master has had notice at least 24 hours (and at most six months) in advance, or has agreed a shorter period. UN numbers, names and quantities are part of that notice, so the vessel's report is only as good as the booking data.

    What Anxin does: We freeze the UN number, proper shipping name, package count and gross weight on the booking before departure and send any change to the carrier at once.

  5. Import country

    Bin symbol and capacity label under the 2008 regulations

    Great Britain still labels batteries under the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008: a crossed-out wheeled bin symbol of a set minimum size on every battery, moved to the packaging only when the battery is too small or cannot practically be marked, and a capacity in mAh or Ah on portable rechargeables and on the front of their packaging.

    What Anxin does: We compare carton and battery photos with the UK marking list before goods leave Qingdao, because relabelling after discharge at Sullom Voe means opening dangerous goods packages.

Locator map of Sullom Voe, United KingdomSullom Voe
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (60.47°N, 1.30°W).
Container gantry cranes at the Burchardkai terminal in Hamburg

Documents & compliance

Documents to line up for Qingdao → Sullom Voe

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.

Before loading in Qingdao

  • Confirmation whether the Dagang–Qianwan one-document pilot applies; a single cargo report filed at the first port of loading
  • 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)

Carrier and voyage

  • Routing (Suez or Cape of Good Hope) and any transhipment port stated on the booking confirmation
  • Lithium battery mark (SP188 cargo) or class 9 labels and placards
  • Condition statement: new, used, damaged/defective (SP376) or for recycling (SP377)

At the United Kingdom end

  • UK haulier briefed with UN 3480 class 9 details for road carriage under ADR
  • Battery compliance scheme (or NPWD registration) for portable batteries
  • Battery weight and chemistry per shipment for the importer's NPWD return
A cylindrical lithium-ion cell held between two fingers
Before you book

Match the details first

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

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

Risks on this route and who deals with them

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Duplicate filing or reopening between Qingdao terminalsDagang → QianwanPilot eligibility checked at booking; single cargo reportAnxin with the declarant
Service switches between Suez and Cape routingMain voyageRouting written on the booking; quotes kept separate per routing; packing assumes the longer voyageCarrier, tracked by Anxin
Harbour notice late or wrongSullom Voe harbour areaDG data frozen before departureCarrier / agent
Batteries arrive without the bin symbol or capacity markingImporter in the UKPhotos checked against the UK marking list before loadingManufacturer / importer

Questions

Qingdao → Sullom Voe: questions we are asked

At least 24 hours before the container is loaded at the departure port. The party that issued the bill of lading is responsible, and a booking made within 24 hours of loading goes on a later vessel.

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.

Under Qingdao MSA's 'one-document, one-box' pilot (since November 2024), water-to-water transhipment between Dagang and Qianwan needs one outbound cargo report and at most one packing inspection. We confirm eligibility at booking.

References

Where these points come from

  1. Safety and security import requirements: entry summary declarations (HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK))
  2. Waste batteries: producer responsibility (Environment Agency (GOV.UK))
  3. The Dangerous Goods in Harbour Areas Regulations 2016, regulation 6 (legislation.gov.uk)
  4. The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009, regulation 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
  5. Regulations: waste batteries (GOV.UK (Office for Product Safety and Standards))
  6. Regulations: batteries and accumulators (placing on the market) (GOV.UK (Office for Product Safety and Standards))
  7. 'One-document, one-box' pilot for water-to-water transhipment of new-energy dangerous goods starts in Qingdao (Chinese), 12 November 2024 (China Transport News)
  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 Qingdao
  5. 5ImportClearance at Sullom Voe
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Qingdao → Sullom Voe

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 Qingdao → Sullom Voe before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Qingdao · United Kingdom ports

Trailers backed up to the loading docks of a warehouse

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