Lithium Battery Export Documents: Checklist

Most battery shipments are delayed by paperwork, not by the cells. A single missing or outdated document will stop a consignment at the airport, the port or the customs counter. This checklist sets out the lithium battery export documents a shipment needs, who prepares each one, and when in the order process to ask for them.

Key takeaways

Six documents for every shipment: UN38.3 test summary, MSDS/SDS, CE declaration, IEC 62133 test report, dangerous goods declaration with Class 9 labelling, and the commercial set. Lithium-ion batteries are generally HS 8507.60.
UN3480 is batteries shipped on their own; UN3481 is batteries packed with or contained in equipment. Packing instruction, labelling and the air state-of-charge rule all follow from that classification.
Under IATA PI965, UN3480 air shipments must be at no more than 30% state of charge – which makes it a production decision, not a packing one.
The most common cause of an airline rejection is a missing or outdated UN38.3 test summary for the exact model being shipped.
Ask for the UN38.3 summary and MSDS before you place the order, confirm UN3480 or UN3481 before production starts, and raise any local-language MSDS at order stage.

The six documents every shipment needs

UN38.3 test summary. A summary of the eight transport tests every lithium cell and battery must pass. It has been mandatory to make it available since 2020, and carriers will not move the consignment without it. Ask for it against the exact model you are buying – a summary for a different pack is useless.
MSDS / SDS. The safety data sheet covering composition, hazards, handling, storage and emergency measures. Customs and your own safety file both need it, and some markets require a local-language version.
CE declaration. The manufacturer’s declaration for the European market, backed by the test evidence behind it.
IEC 62133 test report. The safety standard for sealed secondary cells and batteries; importers and insurers commonly ask for it alongside CE.
Dangerous goods declaration and class 9 labelling. Prepared with the packing list: the correct UN number, proper shipping name and marking on every package.
Commercial documents. Invoice, packing list and HS classification. Lithium-ion batteries are generally HS 8507.60; vehicles and batteries are classified separately.

Who prepares which document

Manufacturer (us) – UN38.3 test summary, MSDS, CE declaration, IEC 62133 report, and the build sheet that matches what is actually in the boxes.
Forwarder / carrier – dangerous goods declaration and the transport document (air waybill under IATA DGR, or bill of lading under IMDG), based on the classification we state on the packing list.
You, the importer – local registration where required, import licences, and the local-language MSDS if your market demands it. Tell us at order stage so it is ready with the shipment, not after it lands.

UN3480 or UN3481: get the classification right

Batteries shipped on their own are UN3480. Batteries packed with equipment, or installed in it, are UN3481. A wholesale cell order is UN3480; a vehicle with its battery installed is UN3481, and the same battery shipped in a separate carton is UN3480 again. The packing instruction, the labelling and – for air freight – the state-of-charge limit all follow from this classification, so it has to be right on the packing list before the goods are packed.

Air vs sea: the state-of-charge question

Under IATA DGR, UN3480 shipments under packing instruction PI965 must be at no more than 30% state of charge. Sea freight under IMDG has no blanket 30% rule, but packaging, segregation and declaration still apply. Practical consequence: if you book samples by air, tell us early so the packs can be prepared at the right charge level; if you are shipping a container, sea is cheaper and less restrictive.

State of charge is one part of the packing rule set. The rest — UN specification packaging, the lithium battery mark, package mass limits and palletising — is set out in our packaging and marking guide.

When to ask for what

Before you place the order – the UN38.3 test summary and MSDS for the exact model, so your forwarder can confirm the mode and the route.
Before production starts – confirm the classification (UN3480 or UN3481), the destination’s marking and language requirements, and any preferential-origin documentation your customs authority accepts.
Before the goods are packed – the packing list must match the physical consignment, including the state of charge for air freight.
With the shipment – the full document package ships with the goods; keep copies for your own compliance file.

Ask for the end-of-life data at the same time: material composition, recycled content and the manufacturing inputs behind a carbon footprint declaration are far harder to reconstruct later. What to request from your battery supplier covers the full list.

The mistakes that actually delay shipments

A missing or outdated UN38.3 test summary – the most common cause of an airline rejection.
Wrong UN number – batteries declared as installed in equipment when they shipped alone, or the reverse.
HS code copied from a vehicle shipment instead of the battery classification.
A packing list that does not match the physical consignment, which triggers inspection.
Air freight booked at full charge when the packing instruction requires 30% or less.
No local-language MSDS for the destination market.

Frequently asked questions

What is a UN38.3 test summary?

A one-to-two page summary of the eight transport tests – altitude, thermal, vibration, shock, external short circuit, impact or crush, overcharge and forced discharge – that a lithium cell or battery must pass. It has been mandatory to make it available since 2020.

Who provides the dangerous goods declaration?

The forwarder or carrier prepares it, but only from the classification the supplier states. We put the UN number and proper shipping name on the packing list for every shipment.

Do I need IEC 62133 for every market?

It is the most widely asked-for safety standard for cells and packs, and importers and insurers in most markets accept it. Some markets add their own requirements – confirm with your customs broker before production.

Can documents be provided in other languages?

English is standard. Local-language MSDS versions can be arranged – raise it at order stage so it is ready with the shipment.

What is the HS code for lithium batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries are generally classified under HS 8507.60. Vehicles containing batteries are classified separately, so a vehicle order produces two sets of commercial documents.