Batteries are the most common reason a shipment gets refused at the airport — usually because the paperwork arrived after the cargo. Here is what has to be true before you book.
“Can you ship batteries?” is not a yes or no question. The answer depends entirely on how the battery travels with the product.
| UN number | What it covers | Air freight |
|---|---|---|
| UN3480 | Lithium-ion batteries on their own, not in equipment | Restricted — cargo aircraft only, strict limits, higher cost |
| UN3481 | Batteries packed with equipment (e.g. in the box with the device) | Possible with the right documents and declaration |
| UN3481 | Batteries contained in equipment (installed in the device) | Most straightforward of the three |
Lithium metal batteries — the non-rechargeable coin and button cells — use the UN3090/3091 series and have their own limits. The distinction matters because the pricing and the acceptance rules are different, and a forwarder quoting “battery rate” without asking which UN number is quoting blind.
Your supplier should have most of this already if they sell battery products legitimately. If they cannot produce a UN38.3 report when asked, that is a warning about the product, not just the paperwork.
For lithium-ion cells and batteries shipped by air, the state of charge must generally not exceed 30% of rated capacity. This is a safety requirement introduced after a series of cargo fires, and it is checked. For standalone batteries (UN3480) air carriage is limited to cargo aircraft, with quantity restrictions per package, and many airlines and consolidators simply refuse it.
In practice, if you are shipping power banks, e-bike batteries or replacement battery packs, air is usually either unavailable or priced so high that sea becomes the obvious choice. For finished devices with a small installed battery — headphones, smart watches, handheld tools — air is routine, provided the documents exist.
Sea freight has dangerous goods rules too, governed by the IMDG Code, but the commercial reality is different: volumes are larger, the restrictions on state of charge do not apply in the same way, and specialist consolidators handle battery cargo regularly. Transit is longer, which for heavy battery products is usually an acceptable trade.
Two practical points for sea:
On most China–UK lanes we move battery-powered consumer goods by sea in LCL or FCL, and keep air for high-value devices with installed cells. Send the UN number and product details and we will tell you honestly which routes are open and what the surcharges are — request a quote.
Generally not as ordinary cargo. Power banks are standalone lithium-ion batteries (UN3480), which are restricted to cargo aircraft with strict limits, and many consolidators refuse them. Sea is the usual route.
No. UN38.3 is the transport safety test report for the cell or battery; the MSDS is the broader chemical safety data sheet. Carriers normally want both.
Lithium-ion cells shipped by air must generally be at no more than 30% of rated capacity, to reduce fire risk. It applies to air, not sea.
Yes. Dangerous goods surcharges apply, documentation is heavier, and some carriers refuse certain UN numbers entirely — so the practical cost can be well above the standard rate.