Special does not mean forbidden
Products that contain batteries, liquids, aerosols, magnets or chemicals are shipped every day. Some are unrestricted, some are accepted under conditions and some are refused by a particular operator. Whether a given product is one or the other depends on what it is made of, how it is packaged and who is carrying it. The way to find out is to ask early, with information, and to treat the answer as specific to that product and that carrier.
Inquiry, acceptance, approval
Three different things are often described with the same word.
| Stage | What it is | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary inquiry | A question about whether the product can be carried and what is needed | A booking, a promise or an assessment of the product |
| Operator acceptance | The carrier’s or airline’s decision to carry the goods as presented, usually at the time of tender | Valid for a different product, packaging or date |
| Dangerous goods approval or declaration | Classification, packing, marking, labelling and documentation done by people trained for it, under the applicable regulations | Something a forwarder, or this article, can grant or replace |
What the information needs to say
- The product name and what it is used for.
- Composition: for a battery the chemistry and size or energy rating; for a liquid its constituents and concentration.
- The safety data sheet, current and from the manufacturer.
- Packaging: the inner and outer packaging, quantity per package and total quantity.
- Whether the battery is shipped separately, packed with equipment or contained in equipment.
- The mode and route you want, because acceptance differs between air, sea and road.
- Any test report, certificate or classification the manufacturer already holds.
Why air is stricter in some cases
The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations set out how dangerous goods are classified, packed, marked, labelled and documented for transport by air, and assign duties to shippers and operators. Airlines may also apply their own additional restrictions. A product that is routine by sea can need a different arrangement, or be declined, by air. If your choice of mode matters, say so in the inquiry.
A fictional inquiry
Fictional example, invented for illustration. It states no rule for any real product.
An importer wants to ship 500 portable speakers. The inquiry says only "speakers with battery, from Surabaya, by air". The forwarder asks for the battery type and rating, whether the batteries are built in, the safety data sheet, the packaging and the quantity per carton.
The importer returns with a data sheet and a photograph of the packaging, and states that the batteries are built into the speakers. With that, the forwarder can ask the airline what it accepts and under which conditions. The answer, whatever it is, will refer to that product, packaging and route, and will not apply to a different speaker.
Who may prepare dangerous goods for transport
Preparing dangerous goods for shipment requires training appropriate to the function, and the shipper carries specific responsibilities. This article does not tell you how to classify, pack, mark or document dangerous goods, and nothing in it makes a reader qualified to do so. If your product is or may be a dangerous good, involve someone trained and ask the operator what it requires before you commit to a date.
A preparation checklist
- Collect the current safety data sheet and composition details.
- Photograph the product and its packaging as it will ship.
- Identify the mode and route and say whether alternatives are acceptable.
- Send the inquiry with these attachments and ask what else is needed.
- Hold the booking until the operator’s answer is in writing.
- Re-ask whenever the product, the packaging or the route changes.
Questions to put to the operator
When you write to the carrier or airline, make the questions specific. Does the operator accept this product, in this packaging, on this route? What documents must accompany it? Is there a limit on quantity per package or per flight? Are there acceptance hours or handling points that differ from ordinary cargo? What happens if the cargo is declined at the airport or the terminal, and who bears the cost?
Ask for the answer in writing and keep it with the booking. An answer given by telephone cannot be shown to the next person who handles the shipment.
Why a changed detail matters
A small change can alter the answer. A different battery capacity, a different supplier of the same product, a revised formulation or a new type of inner packaging can each move a product from one category to another. Treat every change as a new inquiry, and send the supplier’s updated data sheet with it. The risk of assuming the old answer still applies falls on the shipper.
When the answer is no
A refusal is information, not the end of the plan. Ask whether another mode, another operator or a different packing arrangement would be accepted, and whether the product can be shipped in a form that is not restricted, for example without the battery. Weigh the cost and the time of each alternative against the value of the cargo, and agree the change with the buyer before you act.
If you are told that a product is restricted, do not look for a way to describe it differently. A false or incomplete description can endanger people and the cargo, and it can expose the shipper to serious consequences. Describe the product accurately and let the operator decide.
Limits of this guide
The regulations and operators’ conditions are updated regularly and differ by mode, so check the edition and effective date that apply to your shipment date. The edition in force on the date of your shipment is the one that applies. The example is fictional and an inquiry is not an approval.