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Europe · sea freight from Shanghai

Shipping from Shanghai to Burgas

Shanghai to Burgas

East China Sea · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Bosporus · Black Sea

Sea corridor illustration: Shanghai to Burgas, Bulgaria Simplified map with a curved corridor from Shanghai via East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Bosporus, Black Sea to Burgas. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIASOUTHEAST ASIACENTRAL ASIASOUTH CHINA SEA Singapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri LankaBab-el-MandebSuez Canal ShanghaiCHINA ORIGIN BurgasBULGARIA ShanghaiEAST CHINA SEAJIANGSUZHEJIANGDEPARTURE AREA
  1. ShanghaiChina origin
  2. East China Sea
  3. Taiwan Strait
  4. Malacca Strait
  5. Indian Ocean
  6. Bab-el-Mandeb
  7. Suez Canal
  8. Bosporus
  9. Black Sea
  10. BurgasBulgaria
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 the Yangtze River Delta via Shanghai's Yangshan and Waigaoqiao terminals, then follows a Suez, Aegean and Bosporus passage into the Black Sea; at the far end is the port of Burgas.

Bulgaria applies the EU Battery Regulation, starting with registration in its own national producer register. Below are 5 route-specific points to plan for, what we do about each, and the documents to have ready before booking.

What we need to start

  • Photo-verified packing certificate
  • Yangshan / Waigaoqiao export
  • EU declaration of conformity
  • Consignee EORI
  • National producer registration
Ask about this route Bulgaria ports from Shanghai

Route profile

What sets Shanghai → Burgas apart

Origin port

Shanghai (Yangshan / Waigaoqiao)

Yangshan and Waigaoqiao exports under Shanghai MSA's photo-verified packing system, where a mismatch between photos and EDI data keeps a DG box off the ship.

Sea corridor

Asia – Black Sea via Suez and the Turkish Straits

Suez, the Aegean and the Turkish Straits, with a 24-hour DG sailing plan before the Bosporus and, since September 2026, almost the whole Black Sea on the war-risk list.

Yangshan deep-water port near Shanghai seen from a hillside, with container stacks and gantry cranes
A loaded container ship on the horizon

Where this route gets difficult

5 pain points from Shanghai to Burgas

Loading port first, then the sea leg, then Burgas and the Bulgaria market.

  1. Origin port

    Shanghai's photo-verified packing certificate

    At Shanghai the packing inspector must upload photos taken before, during and after stuffing through the MSA's remote system, with face recognition and phone location on, before the electronic packing certificate goes out by EDI. A container is not loaded if the photos are missing, uploaded late, taken outside the verified stuffing site, or do not match the EDI cargo data. Stuffing sites outside Shanghai must be registered with Shanghai MSA.

    What Anxin does: We confirm that the stuffing site (including factory sites in Jiangsu or Zhejiang) is registered for Shanghai's remote system, and we check the photo upload against the EDI data before the packing certificate is sent.

  2. Sea corridor

    Black Sea war-risk area widened in September 2026

    The Joint War Committee extended its Black Sea listed area on 16 September 2026 to cover nearly the whole sea, excluding only Turkish, Georgian, Bulgarian and Romanian territorial waters. Ships going in must notify war-risk underwriters, who can charge extra premium per voyage, which carriers may pass on.

    What Anxin does: We ask the carrier for any war-risk surcharge to Burgas in writing before booking and recheck it if the sailing moves.

  3. Import country

    Built-in portable batteries must be user-replaceable from February 2027

    From 18 February 2027, Article 11 requires portable batteries built into appliances to be readily removable and replaceable by the end-user with commercially available tools, without heat or solvents, apart from limited derogations. Appliances shipped to Bulgaria for sale after that date need a design that meets the rule.

    What Anxin does: When appliances with built-in batteries are booked for Bulgaria we point the importer to the February 2027 date so the manufacturer answers the design question before shipment; we do not assess compliance.

  4. Import country

    The ICS2 entry summary is due before loading in Shanghai

    Sea cargo for the EU needs a complete Entry Summary Declaration under ICS2 Release 3, and for deep-sea containers it is due 24 hours before loading at the departure port. Carriers apply 'no manifest, no load', and a filing without a valid EORI number is rejected, so a data gap in Shanghai leaves the box on the quay.

    What Anxin does: We collect the consignee's EORI number, an HS-level goods description and the house-bill parties at booking, and make sure the party filing the ENS has them before the Shanghai cut-off.

  5. Import country

    The truck leg out of Burgas runs under ADR

    Once the container leaves the terminal by road, ADR applies: Directive 2008/68/EC makes EU countries use it for domestic dangerous goods journeys as well as international ones. UN 3480 is class 9, transport category 2, with tunnel restriction code (E), so the haulier in Bulgaria has to plan around category E tunnels, and damaged or defective batteries fall under special provision 376 and packing instructions P908 or P911 instead of P903.

    What Anxin does: We give the Bulgaria haulier the same UN number, class and package details that appear on the sea dangerous goods declaration, so the ADR transport document matches the container paperwork from Shanghai.

Locator map of Burgas, BulgariaBurgas
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (42.48°N, 27.48°E).
Container ship alongside blue gantry cranes at the Juan Carlos I dock, Algeciras

Documents & compliance

Documents to line up for Shanghai → Burgas

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

Before loading in Shanghai

  • Stuffing photos (before, during, after) uploaded to Shanghai MSA's remote system before the EDI packing certificate is sent
  • Stuffing site registered and geo-verified with Shanghai MSA; fire-safety proof for lithium DG warehouses
  • 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

For the carrier and the voyage

  • Final DG manifest data ready before the vessel reaches the Turkish Straits
  • Lithium battery mark (SP188 cargo) or class 9 labels and placards
  • Condition statement: new, used, damaged/defective (SP376) or for recycling (SP377)

For the importer in Bulgaria

  • Haulier in Bulgaria 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
  • Instructions and safety information in the language Bulgaria requires
Cartons on a pallet being stretch-wrapped
Before you book

One consistent file

A document that is present but inconsistent holds a booking as surely as a missing one: the UN number, model name or carton count reads differently in the Shanghai export filings, the carrier booking and the Bulgaria import papers. We compare all three before confirming space.

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 Shanghai → Burgas

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Container refused for loading: photos late, off-site or not matching EDI dataYangshan / WaigaoqiaoPhoto upload checked against EDI data before the certificate is sentPacking inspector, checked by Anxin
Additional war-risk premium added after bookingBlack Sea listed areaSurcharge confirmed in writingCarrier, checked by Anxin
ENS not filed and the box is refused at loadingLoading port, ShanghaiEORI and house-bill data passed to the filer at bookingFiler (carrier / forwarder)
Road route planned through a category E tunnelRoad leg from BurgasTunnel code (E) passed to the haulier with the transport dataHaulier / forwarder

Questions

Common questions on the Shanghai → Burgas route

No. Under the Battery Regulation producers register in each Member State where they first make batteries available, and the authority has up to 12 weeks to grant a complete application. A producer without an establishment in Bulgaria needs an authorised representative there.

Possibly. Since 16 September 2026 almost the whole Black Sea, outside Turkish, Georgian, Bulgarian and Romanian territorial waters, is a Joint War Committee listed area, and underwriters may charge additional premiums. We get the carrier's surcharge in writing.

It can, but Shanghai MSA checks the phone location of the packing photos against a verified stuffing site, and sites outside Shanghai must be registered with it. We confirm registration before the stuffing date; otherwise the container can be refused for loading.

References

Regulations and port sources cited

  1. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries (ELI) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  2. ICS2 Release 3: Prepare your business for sending goods to or via the EU by sea and inland waterways (European Commission, DG TAXUD (leaflet KP0423828ENN))
  3. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (Official Journal PDF) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  4. Inland transport of dangerous goods (summary of Directive 2008/68/EC) (EUR-Lex)
  5. Turkish Straits Maritime Traffic Regulation (English translation) (Republic of Türkiye (translation published by VDA))
  6. Notice on the trial of the remote smart management system for DG container packing (Chinese), 12 November 2021 (Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration)

Next step

From enquiry to import

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

Ask about Shanghai → Burgas

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 Shanghai → Burgas before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Shanghai · Bulgaria ports

Workers loading cartons from pallets by hand in a warehouse

Need Shanghai → Burgas reviewed?

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

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