由 caicai8478 This is due to a series of strict safety regulations, primarily based on the following:
I. Core Risks: Why are batteries dangerous?
Batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, face three major risks during transportation:
Thermal runaway and fire risks
Complex mechanism: Lithium batteries contain active chemicals. If squeezed, punctured, short-circuited, overcharged, or exposed to high temperatures, they can cause internal short circuits, rapidly rising temperatures, and triggering thermal runaway.
Difficult to extinguish: Once a fire occurs, batteries release flammable electrolytes and oxygen. Traditional fire extinguishers (such as water and foam) are ineffective and may even exacerbate the reaction. Large amounts of water are required for continuous cooling, but the fire remains difficult to control.
Chain reaction: Batteries are often stored densely in freight. Thermal runaway in one battery can quickly spread to surrounding batteries, causing a catastrophic fire.
Short Circuit Risk
If the positive and negative terminals of a battery are connected by metal (such as other cargo or cargo container walls), an external short circuit can occur, generating significant heat and potentially causing a fire. This risk is significantly increased during bumpy transport.
Potential Explosion Risk
In a confined space, flammable gases released by a battery during thermal runaway can accumulate to a certain concentration and explode when exposed to a fire source.
II. International Regulations and Classification
Because of the aforementioned risks, battery transportation is subject to strict international regulations:
The United Nations “Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods”: Lithium batteries are specifically classified as Class 9 miscellaneous dangerous goods.
The International Maritime Organization’s “International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code”: governs the transport of dangerous goods by sea.
The ICAO “Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air”: governs the transport of dangerous goods by air. Air transport regulations are the most stringent, as the consequences of a fire at 10,000 meters are unimaginable.
Regulations of various customs and transportation departments: Customs in Southeast Asia have their own customs clearance and inspection requirements for imported dangerous goods.
III. Specific Requirements for Transporting Batteries as “Dangerous Goods”
If batteries are officially exported as “dangerous goods,” they must meet the following stringent requirements, significantly different from those for “ordinary cargo”:
UN38.3 Testing:
This is a mandatory requirement. Batteries must pass eight rigorous safety tests, including altitude simulation, thermal cycling, vibration, shock, external short circuit, impact/crushing, overcharge, and forced discharge, to demonstrate their stability during transportation.
Dangerous Goods Packaging:
Certified dangerous goods packaging (such as UN boxes) must be used.
The packaging must be short-circuit-proof and shock-resistant, and bear the correct dangerous goods label (e.g., Class 9 dangerous goods label, lithium battery label).
The outside of the packaging must be clearly marked with the battery type, net weight, UN number (e.g., UN3480 for lithium-ion batteries), and shipper and consignee information.
MSDS:
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) must be provided, detailing the battery’s chemical composition, physical properties, hazards, and emergency handling procedures.
Customs Declaration Documents:
A Dangerous Goods Declaration Form is required when declaring goods, clearly stating the hazardous nature of the goods.
Transportation Restrictions:
Air transport: Subject to extremely strict restrictions. Transport is typically restricted to cargo aircraft, with passenger aircraft prohibited or restricted in very low quantities. Advance application and approval from the airline is required.
Sea transport: Must be transported in dangerous goods containers, with specific stowage and segregation requirements (such as keeping batteries away from heat sources).
IV. Consequences of Misdeclaring Batteries as “Ordinary Cargo”
Some shippers or freight forwarders may choose to conceal or omit batteries to save costs or simplify procedures, shipping them as ordinary cargo. This behavior can have disastrous consequences:
Safety Risks: A poorly handled battery can be a ticking time bomb, posing a serious threat to the safety of crew members, shippers, port workers, and other cargo. Numerous aviation and maritime accidents have been reported involving lithium batteries.
Legal and Financial Liabilities:
Significant Fines: Once discovered, shippers and freight forwarders face substantial fines from customs, maritime authorities, or the Civil Aviation Administration.
Criminal Liability: If an accident results from concealing information, the responsible party may face criminal prosecution.
Total Loss: The goods will be detained and forcibly destroyed, and all incurred costs (such as transshipment, handling, and demurrage) will be borne by the cargo owner.
Loss of Business Reputation:
The company will be blacklisted by carriers (shipping companies, airlines) and official agencies, and future exports will be subject to extremely strict scrutiny, or even denial of carriage.
Supply Chain Disruption:
Entire shipments, or even entire containers, may be detained for inspection, causing significant logistics delays and impacting the entire supply chain.
Summary
In short, batteries cannot be shipped from China to Southeast Asia as “ordinary cargo” due to their inherent physical and chemical hazards and the mandatory requirements of international regulations. Declaring them as “dangerous goods” for transportation, while complex and costly, is the only reliable way to ensure safety, comply with laws, and safeguard business reputation. Any attempt to conceal information is a high-risk gamble, the potential cost far outweighing the cost and time saved.