Five No-Go Zones in International Shipping: Why Are Powders and Drones on the List?

In the landscape of cross-border logistics, there are five categories of items universally classified as “high-risk no-go zones” by customs authorities and logistics providers worldwide. With a consistent detention rate exceeding 30%, they have become major obstacles for individuals and enterprises engaged in cross-border shipping. These five no-go zones are: powdered items, drones and accessories, lithium battery-containing items, pharmaceuticals and health products, and infringing/ prohibited goods.

Among them, powdered items and drones, characterized by “high-risk attributes and complex compliance requirements,” have consistently ranked among the top of the “no-go blacklist” for years. They are the most likely categories to trigger cargo detention, fines, or even criminal liability in international shipping. Why have these two categories “dominated” the five no-go zones? What safety and regulatory logic underpins the establishment of these zones? How can ordinary users and enterprises mitigate risks? This article will break down the core characteristics of the five no-go zones, conduct an in-depth analysis of the root causes for the prohibition of powders and drones, and provide actionable compliant shipping solutions.

I. Ranking of the Five No-Go Zones in International Shipping: Characteristics and Risk Index

The delineation of international shipping no-go zones is not based on the “unilateral policies” of a single country, but rather a global consensus on “controllable safety risks” and “feasible regulatory supervision.” Covering physical safety, biosafety, information security, intellectual property, and other dimensions, the five zones are defined by the following risk indices and core prohibited characteristics:

Key Conclusion: With “high risk indices and high detention rates,” powdered items and drones stand out as the “top priorities” among the five no-go zones. Their shared characteristics include “unpredictable safety risks” and “cross-border regulatory complexity,” making it difficult for ordinary shippers to meet all compliance requirements, thus frequently triggering detention mechanisms.

II. In-Depth Analysis: Why Have Powders and Drones Become “No-Go Zone Leaders”?

The core reason for powdered items and drones occupying a central position in the five no-go zones lies in the fundamental conflict between their attributes and the “safety logic” and “regulatory logic” of cross-border shipping. This conflict can barely be resolved through conventional regulatory measures, leaving “strict restrictions” or even “comprehensive prohibitions” as the only risk mitigation strategies.

(I) Powdered Items: A Regulatory Dilemma Triggered by “Physical Ambiguity”

The root cause for the prohibition of powdered items centers on their physical characteristic of “unable to directly identify components through appearance.” This “ambiguity” has trapped regulatory authorities in a triple dilemma of “difficult identification, difficult prevention and control, and difficult accountability.”

1. Difficult Component Identification: The “Perfect Carrier” for Concealing Prohibited Items

Powder is one of the most ideal forms for disguising prohibited items. Drugs (e.g., synthetic cannabinoid powder, heroin), explosives (e.g., ammonium nitrate powder, black powder), and radioactive substances (e.g., uranium powder) can be easily disguised as ordinary food powder, cosmetic powder, or chemical raw materials through simple grinding and mixing. Even the most advanced X-ray detection and liquid/powder analyzers struggle to identify low-concentration mixed prohibited items or new types of synthetic prohibited powders.

For example, in 2023, Chinese customs seized prohibited items mixed with 0.01% synthetic drugs in a batch of “coffee powder,” which completely evaded ordinary security inspection equipment; a European customs authority discovered explosive raw materials disguised as milk powder particles in “baby milk powder.” This “risk of missed detection” has forced customs authorities worldwide to adopt a “better to detain mistakenly than let pass” strategy, prohibiting the shipment of all powdered items without authoritative component identification.

2. High Safety Risks: The “Uncontrollability” of Physical and Chemical Properties

Most powders possess physical and chemical properties such as flammability, explosiveness, dust generation, and corrosiveness, which can easily trigger safety accidents in the complex environment of cross-border shipping (high temperature, high pressure, severe vibration). According to the classification of the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG), at least 12 types of powders are explicitly classified as dangerous goods:

• Flammable powders (aluminum powder, magnesium powder): Can ignite and explode upon contact with open flames, friction, or static electricity, with drastically increased risks in the high-pressure environment of air transport;
• Corrosive powders (sodium hydroxide powder, ammonium sulfate powder): If packaging is damaged, they can corrode transportation equipment, contaminate other goods, and even burn operators;
• Dust-generating powders (flour, starch): When reaching a certain concentration in enclosed spaces, they can cause dust explosions upon contact with sparks. Historically, there have been multiple major dust explosion accidents in cross-border logistics warehouses.

Even ordinary food powders may leak or absorb moisture and clump due to poor sealing, triggering secondary pollution risks in the transportation chain.

3. High Regulatory Thresholds: Dual Challenges of Cost and Difficulty in “Proving Legitimacy”

Legally shipping powdered items requires crossing three thresholds—”component identification, compliant packaging, and importing country permits”—a feat barely achievable for ordinary users and SMEs:

• Component identification: Entrusting a third-party institution with CMA and CNAS qualifications (e.g., SGS, CCIC) to issue a “Component Identification Report” costs between 2,000-5,000 yuan per time, with a processing cycle of 1-2 weeks;
• Compliant packaging: Dangerous powders require UN-certified leak-proof and anti-static packaging, while ordinary powders need “double-layer sealing + buffering + moisture-proof” packaging, costing 3-4 times more than standard packaging;
• Importing country permits: Requirements for importing powdered items vary drastically among countries. For example, Australia prohibits the import of unquarantined milk powder, the EU bans cosmetic powders containing paraben preservatives, and the US requires chemical powders to have FDA registration certificates.

(II) Drones: Regulatory Shackles Brought by “Dual-Use (Civil-Military) Nature”

The root cause for the prohibition of drones lies in the “dual superposition of consumer and military attributes.” This “cross-border attribute” exposes them to triple regulatory pressures—airspace safety, information security, and export controls—ultimately relegating them to a “high-risk no-go zone” in international shipping.

1. Airspace Safety Risks: An “Insoluble Dilemma” in Low-Altitude Control

The flight altitude (some models can reach over 120 meters) and speed (up to 100km/h) of consumer-grade drones make them “invisible threats” to low-altitude safety:

• Interfering with civil aviation flights: Drone intrusions into airport runways have become a major hazard to the global civil aviation industry. A country once experienced 4-hour delays for 12 flights due to drone interference;
• Intruding into sensitive areas: Drones can easily fly into military bases, government buildings, nuclear power plants, and other sensitive areas for illegal activities such as photography and mapping. China has investigated multiple cases of drones being used to photograph military ports;
• Public safety accidents: Uncontrolled drone crashes may cause casualties and property damage. In 2022, an incident in a country where a drone crashed into a crowd resulted in 3 injuries.

Due to their small size and flexible flight, existing low-altitude monitoring equipment cannot achieve full-time, full-coverage control. Therefore, most countries mitigate risks at the source through “transportation restrictions.”

2. Information Security Risks: “Invisible Vulnerabilities” in Cross-Border Data Transmission

Modern drones are generally equipped with high-definition cameras, GPS positioning modules, and real-time image transmission functions. Some professional-grade drones also feature facial recognition and topographic mapping capabilities. These functions may pose severe information security risks in cross-border use:

• Leakage of sensitive information: Aerial data captured of China’s border areas, military facilities, and critical infrastructure, if transmitted to overseas servers, may endanger national security;
• Privacy infringement: Facial recognition functions may illegally collect personal privacy information, violating the data protection regulations of importing countries (e.g., EU GDPR);
• Theft of geographical information: High-precision topographic mapping data may be used for illegal purposes. Many countries prohibit drones with mapping functions from entering their territories.

3. Export Control Risks: Geopolitical Security Concerns Over Technology Proliferation

The core technologies of drones (autonomous driving algorithms, high-definition imaging technology, remote control modules) have clear dual-use (civil-military) attributes. High-performance drones can be modified into military reconnaissance equipment or attack platforms, and even used by terrorist organizations to carry out attacks.

As a result, most countries worldwide have included drones in export control lists:

• China’s Export Control Law explicitly stipulates that drones with a maximum takeoff weight >25kg and a flight radius >50km require a “Dual-Use Items Export License”;
• The US and the EU impose strict restrictions on drone technical parameters, prohibiting the export of high-performance drones to sensitive countries;
• Countries in the Middle East, India, and other regions directly ban the import of drones without permits, with violators facing cargo confiscation and fines.

III. The Other Three No-Go Zones: Risk Characteristics and Prohibition Logic

Beyond powders and drones, the other three no-go zones—lithium battery-containing items, pharmaceuticals and health products, and infringing/prohibited goods—each have their own core prohibition logics and are equally “minefields” that cannot be touched in cross-border shipping.

(I) Lithium Battery-Containing Items: Rigid Safety Restrictions on “Flammability and Explosiveness”

The core reason for the prohibition of lithium battery-containing items is “uncontrollable safety risks.” Due to the risks of short circuits, overheating, and explosions, lithium batteries are classified as “Class 9 Dangerous Goods” by the United Nations. Their cross-border transportation is subject to strict restrictions by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA):

• Capacity limit: Lithium batteries shipped by individuals must have a capacity ≤100Wh. Exceeding this limit requires obtaining a “Dangerous Goods Transport Permit,” and air transport is prohibited;
• Packaging requirements: Batteries must be packaged separately from equipment, with electrodes insulated by adhesive tape and placed in fireproof battery cases to prevent short circuits;
• Declaration requirements: Shippers must truthfully declare “contains lithium batteries” and provide a UN38.3 safety test report. Failure to declare will result in immediate cargo detention.

Common violation scenarios include: power banks with excessive capacity (e.g., over 20,000mAh), wireless earphone batteries not packaged separately, and laptop batteries not insulated—all of which will trigger customs detention.

(II) Pharmaceuticals and Health Products: A Regulatory Dilemma of “Sensitive Components + Inconsistent Standards”

The prohibition logic for pharmaceuticals and health products stems from the dual pressures of “public health safety” and “inconsistent national regulatory standards”:

• Sensitive components: Some pharmaceuticals contain prohibited ingredients (e.g., endangered animal and plant components in traditional Chinese medicine, sibutramine in health products), violating globally unified prohibition rules;
• Inconsistent standards: The US requires pharmaceuticals to obtain FDA registration, the EU requires EMA certification, and Australia requires TGA approval. Ordinary users struggle to meet the compliance requirements of multiple countries;
• Quarantine requirements: Animal and plant-derived pharmaceuticals (e.g., deer antler, ginseng) require health quarantine certificates to prevent the transmission of pests and diseases, in compliance with biosafety regulations.

Typical Case: A user shipped cold medicine containing ephedrine (a prescription drug) to the US without providing a doctor’s prescription or FDA registration certificate. The parcel was detained, and the user was fined 3,000 US dollars.

(III) Infringing/Prohibited Goods: Absolute No-Go Zones “Touching Legal Red Lines”

This category is the “most severe” among the five no-go zones. Its prohibition logic is “endangering public safety + violating global legal consensus”:

• Infringing goods (counterfeit brand-name products, pirated discs): Violating intellectual property protection laws, they are universally prohibited from transportation. Once seized, the goods are directly destroyed, and the shipper faces heavy fines;
• Prohibited goods (imitation guns, controlled knives, drugs): Endangering public safety, they are “zero-tolerance” items globally, and shippers may bear criminal liability.

It is particularly important to note that even “toy-grade” items such as imitation guns and pneumatic guns may be classified as “controlled devices” and are absolute prohibited items in most countries.

IV. Breaking Through Compliance: Shipping Guidelines for the Five No-Go Zones (Focus on Powders and Drones)

Despite the strict supervision of the five no-go zones, they are not “absolutely prohibited from transportation.” By strictly adhering to the principles of “compliance first, advance preparation, and accurate matching,” the risk of detention can be effectively reduced, and legal transportation can be achieved.

(I) Powdered Items: Three-Step Compliant Shipping Method

1. Pre-Verification: Clarify Item Attributes and Importing Country Requirements

• Obtain official ingredient lists from brands to confirm the presence of flammable or corrosive components;
• Log on to the official website of the importing country’s customs to check if import permits are required (e.g., AQIS permit for Australian milk powder);
• For dangerous powders (e.g., chemical raw materials), confirm in advance whether there are logistics providers with dangerous goods transportation qualifications to undertake the shipment.

2. Document Preparation: Collect the “Three Compliance Certificates”

• Component Identification Report: Issued by institutions such as SGS or CCIC, clearly stating the “non-dangerous goods” attribute;
• Specialized Certificates: Health quarantine certificates for food powders, filing documents for cosmetic powders, and MSDS for chemical powders;
• Importing Country Permits: Obtain certifications such as REACH (EU), FDA (US), and AQIS (Australia) in accordance with destination requirements.

3. Packaging and Declaration: Standardize Operations to Avoid Violations

• Ordinary Powders: Double-layer sealing (vacuum bag + zip-lock bag) + bubble wrap buffering + five-layer corrugated carton, with desiccant placed inside the carton;
• Dangerous Powders: UN-certified leak-proof packaging, with corresponding hazard labels (e.g., flammable powder, corrosive powder) attached;
• Truthful Declaration: Clearly state “item name, components, and purpose” on the customs declaration form, and attach all compliance documents without concealment.

(II) Drones: Five-Step Compliant Shipping Method

1. Technical Parameter Verification: Confirm Export License Requirements

• If the drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 250g-25kg and a flight radius >50km, apply for a “Dual-Use Items Export License” from the Ministry of Commerce (processing cycle: 15-20 working days);
• Battery capacity must be ≤100Wh. Exceeding this limit requires obtaining a “Dangerous Goods Transport Permit.”

2. Destination Certification: Meet Importing Country Access Requirements

• EU: Obtain CE certification (EN 947-1 standard);
• US: Obtain FAA Remote ID certification and registration;
• Australia: Obtain CASA registration and import permit.

3. Document Preparation: Collect the “Four Export Essentials”

• Export License (if required);
• Battery UN38.3 test report;
• Non-military use statement (with official seal);
• Destination country import permit documents.

4. Compliant Packaging: Avoid Transportation Violations

• Separate the drone body from accessories, fully wrap the body with pearl cotton, and place it in a shockproof packaging box;
• Insulate batteries individually (electrodes taped), place them in fireproof battery cases, and attach “Lithium Battery” and “Fragile” labels;
• Clearly mark “Drone (Non-Military Use)” and “Technical Parameters (Maximum Takeoff Weight, Battery Capacity)” on the outer packaging.

5. Channel Selection: Entrust Professional Cross-Border Logistics Providers

• Choose logistics providers with dangerous goods transportation qualifications and cross-border customs declaration capabilities (e.g., SF International Dangerous Goods Special Line, DHL Global Forwarding);
• Avoid small logistics providers or “gray channels,” which may illegally accept shipments but cannot guarantee cargo safety.

(III) Core Compliance Points for the Other Three No-Go Zones