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Shipping from Tianjin to Constanta

Tianjin to Constanta

Bohai Sea · Bohai Strait · Taiwan Strait · Malacca Strait · Indian Ocean · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Bosporus

Sea corridor illustration: Tianjin to Constanta, Romania Simplified map with a curved corridor from Tianjin via Bohai Sea, Bohai Strait, Taiwan Strait, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Bosporus to Constanta. Illustration only; not a vessel track or schedule. CHINAINDIASOUTHEAST ASIACENTRAL ASIA Taiwan StraitSingapore / MalaccaSouth of Sri LankaBab-el-MandebSuez Canal TianjinCHINA ORIGIN ConstantaROMANIA TianjinBOHAI SEAYELLOW SEASHANDONGDEPARTURE AREA
  1. TianjinChina origin
  2. Bohai Sea
  3. Bohai Strait
  4. Taiwan Strait
  5. Malacca Strait
  6. Indian Ocean
  7. Bab-el-Mandeb
  8. Suez Canal
  9. Bosporus
  10. ConstantaRomania
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 through Tianjin, with its Beijiang and Dongjiang terminals on the Bohai Bay, then follows a corridor through the Turkish Straits; at the far end is the port of Constanta.

The Romania side follows the EU battery and customs pre-filing rules. Below are 6 route-specific points to plan for, what we do about each, and the documents to have ready before booking.

What we need to start

  • Factory-supervised loading
  • Bohai Bay winter ice
  • National producer registration
  • EU declaration of conformity
  • Consignee EORI
Ask about this route Romania ports from Tianjin

Route profile

What sets Tianjin → Constanta apart

Origin port

Tianjin (Xingang)

North China's main container gateway, where Tianjin Customs lets DG containers be inspected at the factory and loaded on arrival within a booked port slot, and where the Bohai Bay freezes at its edges in mid-winter.

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.

Container gantry cranes at a Tianjin port container terminal
A cargo ship at anchor in calm water under a clear sky

Where this route gets difficult

6 pain points from Tianjin to Constanta

Listed from loading in Tianjin to import into Romania, each with what we do about it.

  1. Origin port

    Winter ice at the Haihe mouth

    Sea ice forms every winter in the Bohai Sea, and the Haihe estuary at Tianjin is among the severe areas. In winter 2021/22 China's national marine forecast centre expected the peak ice period from mid-January to mid-February, with floating ice reaching about 5 nautical miles out in Bohai Bay. Ice and cold spells slow port operations around the Chinese New Year shipping peak.

    What Anxin does: For January and February sailings from Tianjin we add slack between stuffing and the DG cut-off and confirm the vessel's berthing window with the carrier the week before loading.

  2. Origin port

    At Tianjin the port slot is booked before the truck leaves the factory

    Tianjin Customs runs a 'supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival' model for dangerous goods: officers oversee stuffing at the factory, the declaration goes in early through the single window, and the container enters the port in a slot booked on the customs–port platform and goes straight to the ship. Any inspection happens in closed yards inside the Beijiang and Dongjiang terminals. The time saved depends on the stuffing date, the slot and the declared data all matching.

    What Anxin does: We fix the stuffing date against the vessel's DG cut-off first, then book the entry slot, and check that the declaration, the packing certificate and the container number agree before the truck leaves, so the box is not diverted to an inspection yard for a data mismatch.

  3. Sea corridor

    A dangerous-cargo sailing plan 24 hours before the Bosporus

    Ships carrying dangerous cargo must file a Sailing Plan 1 with the Turkish Straits VTS at least 24 hours before entering the straits, declaring the dangerous goods classes on board. A class 9 battery container is part of that declaration, so late or wrong DG data on the manifest can hold the ship up at the entrance.

    What Anxin does: We make sure the DG manifest data (UN number, class, quantity, container number) are final and match the booking before the vessel leaves the last port before the straits.

  4. Import country

    CE marking and a declaration of conformity in the right language

    The importer in Romania carries the check: CE marking on the battery and an EU declaration of conformity, translated into the language Romania 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 Romania importer. We check that the documents exist and match the goods; we do not assess conformity.

  5. Import country

    The truck leg out of Constanta runs under ADR

    Road delivery from Constanta is an ADR movement, because the EU applies ADR to domestic journeys through Directive 2008/68/EC. For UN 3480 that means class 9, transport category 2 and tunnel code (E), which restricts the route through category E tunnels; batteries found damaged at unloading move to special provision 376 packing (P908 or P911).

    What Anxin does: We give the Romania 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 Tianjin.

  6. Import country

    Instructions and safety information in the language of Romania

    Importers must make sure batteries come with instructions and safety information in a language end-users in Romania easily understand, as that Member State decides. Printed inserts and carton text are far easier to change before the goods are packed in China.

    What Anxin does: We ask the importer which language Romania requires and check carton and insert photos against it before loading.

Locator map of Constanta, RomaniaConstanta
Locator map in the same projection as the corridor map; the dot marks the listed port position (44.17°N, 28.65°E).
Blue container gantry cranes on a quay at the Port of Algeciras

Documents & compliance

Documents to line up for Tianjin → Constanta

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 Tianjin

  • Stuffing date, port-entry slot and DG cut-off at Tianjin agreed in that order
  • 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)

For the shipping line

  • Final DG manifest data ready before the vessel reaches the Turkish Straits
  • 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 Romania

  • Instructions and safety information in the language Romania requires
  • Producer of record in Romania and its national registration number
  • 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 Tianjin filings, the booking with the carrier and the documents for Romania before the booking is confirmed, so that a mismatch is fixed at origin rather than discovered at Constanta.

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 Tianjin → Constanta

RiskWhereMitigationWho acts
Box sent to the terminal inspection yard because declared data do not matchBeijiang / Dongjiang terminalsDeclaration, packing certificate and container number cross-checked before truckingAnxin
Ice or cold spell slows berthing in mid-winterBohai Bay, Jan–FebSlack between stuffing and cut-off; berthing window reconfirmedCarrier, monitored by Anxin
Incorrect DG data in the straits sailing planTurkish StraitsManifest checked against the bookingCarrier, with data from Anxin
Declaration of conformity missing or not in the required languageImporter in RomaniaDeclaration and CE photo collected before loadingManufacturer / importer
Road route planned through a category E tunnelRoad leg from ConstantaTunnel code (E) passed to the haulier with the transport dataHaulier / forwarder

Questions

Tianjin → Constanta: questions we are asked

The importer's: name, registered trade name or trade mark and postal address with a contact point, on the battery or, if it is too small, on the packaging or accompanying document.

A Sailing Plan 1 to the Turkish Straits VTS at least 24 hours before entry, including the dangerous cargo classes on board.

Tianjin Customs offers a 'supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival' model: stuffing is supervised at the factory, the box enters the port in a booked slot and is loaded directly. Whether a given shipment can use it depends on the customs arrangement for the exporter and the port slot; we check both when you book.

References

Official sources for this page

  1. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries (ELI) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  2. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (Official Journal PDF) (EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU)
  3. Inland transport of dangerous goods (summary of Directive 2008/68/EC) (EUR-Lex)
  4. Turkish Straits Maritime Traffic Regulation (English translation) (Republic of Türkiye (translation published by VDA))
  5. Tianjin Customs export dangerous goods service page: supervised factory loading, direct loading on port arrival (Tianjin Customs)
  6. Sea ice arrives: what are the impacts? (Bohai and northern Yellow Sea, winter 2021/22) (China Meteorological Administration (from China Natural Resources News))
  7. 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 Tianjin
  5. 5ImportClearance at Constanta
Each step is confirmed in writing; an enquiry does not create a booking.

Ask about Tianjin → Constanta

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 Tianjin → Constanta before any booking, and ask for missing battery documents first.

All destinations from Tianjin · Romania ports

Workers loading cartons from pallets by hand in a warehouse

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

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