"Dangerous goods" does not only mean explosives and toxic chemicals. Lithium batteries, perfumes, aerosols, paints, adhesives, cleaning products, some cosmetics and dry ice are all regulated in transport. Shipping them without declaring them is not only a compliance risk: it is the cause of serious incidents on aircraft and ships, and it can lead to heavy fines.
The 9 hazard classes
All dangerous-goods regulations are based on the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, which define nine classes:
| Class | Hazard | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explosives | Fireworks, ammunition, flares |
| 2 | Gases | Aerosols, gas cylinders, lighters |
| 3 | Flammable liquids | Perfumes, paints, solvents, alcohol-based products |
| 4 | Flammable solids | Matches, some metal powders |
| 5 | Oxidisers and organic peroxides | Some fertilisers, hydrogen peroxide |
| 6 | Toxic and infectious substances | Pesticides, medical samples |
| 7 | Radioactive material | Medical isotopes |
| 8 | Corrosives | Acids, car batteries, some cleaning products |
| 9 | Miscellaneous | Lithium batteries, dry ice, magnetised material |
The rules by transport mode
- Air: the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), based on the ICAO Technical Instructions and updated every year. Air rules are the strictest: some goods are allowed only on cargo aircraft, and others are forbidden altogether.
- Sea: the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code of the International Maritime Organization, which also governs segregation of incompatible goods on board.
- Road: the ADR agreement for international road transport.
What the shipper is responsible for
Under every regulation, the legal responsibility starts with the shipper, not the carrier. The shipper must:
- Classify the goods and identify their UN number and proper shipping name — usually from the product’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS), section 14.
- Pack them in UN-specification packaging approved for that class and packing group, within the quantity limits.
- Mark and label each package with the UN number, hazard labels and handling marks.
- Declare them on a Dangerous Goods Declaration (Shipper’s Declaration for air, DG declaration for sea), signed by a trained person.
For air, the person preparing the shipment must have received dangerous-goods training appropriate to their role.
Lithium batteries: the most common case
Lithium batteries (UN 3480, 3481, 3090, 3091) are in almost every electronic product. Their transport conditions depend on the battery type (lithium-ion or lithium-metal), whether they are shipped alone, packed with or contained in equipment, the watt-hour rating and the state of charge. Since 2016, lithium-ion batteries shipped on their own by air are forbidden on passenger aircraft and must be shipped at a reduced state of charge. Always provide the battery’s test summary (UN 38.3) and SDS.
Our advice
Tell your forwarder before booking if anything in your shipment might be regulated, and send the SDS. Hiding or forgetting dangerous goods leads to refused shipments at best, and sanctions at worst. Our air freight and sea freight teams check classification, packaging and documents with you. Request a quote.
