UN3480 vs UN3481: check the battery packing before booking

A supplier sends a battery test summary and an invoice that says “electronic equipment”. Neither tells you how the batteries will be handed over for transport. Before choosing UN3480 or UN3481, get a packing description that matches the goods leaving the warehouse.

The useful question is simple: are the batteries travelling on their own, installed in the equipment, or in the same package as equipment they will power? This guide works through that question for lithium ion batteries. Lithium metal, sodium ion and mixed-chemistry batteries need their own classification check.

Start with the shipping configuration

These are starting points for checking an entry, rather than a classification certificate. Read the current DGL record and the provisions applicable to the actual goods. A description such as “lithium polymer” does not by itself take a lithium ion battery out of this comparison.

One invoice can contain more than one configuration

Example packing file: twelve instruments have their batteries installed. A separate carton contains replacement packs. Keep those two configurations visible in the booking file. The fact that the carton and instruments share a purchase order or a pallet does not establish that the spare batteries are packed with equipment.

Ask the packer to identify each outer package and what is inside it. If a package combines batteries installed in equipment with batteries packed with equipment, inspect SP390 before preparing its marks and transport description. Do not replace the two UN3481 configurations with the vague phrase “batteries with machines”.

Match the paperwork to the battery model

Put the model shown on the pack, the packing list and the test summary side by side. A document for a similar product is a reason to ask for clarification, not a reason to assume the model is covered. Ask the manufacturer to explain any model-family reference or different product name.

IMDG 2.9.4 addresses lithium battery requirements, including testing and test-summary availability. A test summary supports the battery evidence; it does not identify whether this shipment is a battery consignment, equipment or a vehicle. The PHMSA test-summary resource is useful background on what that document is for. Use the applicable IMDG provisions for the sea shipment.

Check condition before choosing a packing instruction

Find out whether the batteries are ordinary production goods, prototypes, damaged or defective, or being sent for disposal or recycling. The DGL lists several packing instructions for UN3480 and UN3481. Their presence together does not mean that a shipper may pick whichever package is easiest to obtain.

For the normal production route, examine P903 and its conditions. Other circumstances require checking the provisions that address them, including SP310, SP376 or SP377 as appropriate. A swollen pack, a safety recall or an unclear damage history should be resolved before booking. Request a documented condition assessment and the applicable transport basis from the responsible shipper.

A small battery still needs an exception check

Both DGL records show LQ 0 and EQ E0. SP188 is a separate conditional provision. A watt-hour figure on its own is insufficient to establish that the full provision is met. If the shipper relies on SP188, ask which conditions apply to the actual battery and package, and retain the supporting evidence.

Also check what the product is. A battery installed in a vehicle, or a battery system installed in a cargo transport unit for external power, needs the classification boundaries in SP360 and SP388. The companion vehicle guide explains the questions to ask.

Send a booking file the next person can follow

• Identify the battery chemistry and exact model.
• Describe the configuration for each package and distinguish installed batteries from spares.
• Include the relevant battery evidence and a clear statement of condition.
• Record the entry, packing route and any exception being relied on.
• Ask the carrier about its acceptance requirements for the route and sailing.

If those points disagree, resolve the packing description first. Repeatedly editing the UN number on the declaration will not resolve uncertainty about what is actually inside the cartons.

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