What Every Tech Company Should Know About Shipping Dangerous Goods

When shipping globally, you are not just moving goods across borders; you are navigating a complex web of customs regulations, safety laws, and large amounts of paperwork. When it comes to shipping dangerous goods, the stakes become even higher.

Hazardous materials are more common in the tech world than you might think; lithium batteries, AI cooling agents, and capacitors are all subject to strict regulatory scrutiny.

Understanding the classifications, packaging, and documentation required for shipping dangerous goods is crucial to ensuring compliance, avoiding delays, and facilitating a smooth customs process.

What Are Dangerous Goods?

Dangerous goods are any goods containing hazardous materials that pose risks to health, safety, property, or the environment during transportation. Approximately 1.25 million hazardous goods are transported by air annually, highlighting how prevalent dangerous goods are in the global supply chain.

Shipping hazardous materials is highly regulated and must be carefully controlled.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) classify dangerous goods into nine different classes, these being:

Class 1. Explosives

Class 2. Flammable Gases

Class 3. Flammable Liquids

Class 4. Flammable solids

Class 5. Oxidizing

Class 6. Toxic and Infectious

Class 7. Radioactive

Class 8. Corrosives

Class 9. Miscellaneous

Therefore, if any of your goods fall under these nine classes, they are considered dangerous, and additional regulations and precautions for shipping dangerous goods will be necessary.

What Counts as a Dangerous Good in Tech

Many importers are surprised to hear that their tech goods are classified as dangerous goods, with the three most common tech-related dangerous goods including:

1) Lithium Batteries

All batteries are hazardous and hence dangerous goods. Lithium batteries fall under class 9 (miscellaneous dangerous goods) due to their high levels of electric energy. Therefore, if these batteries are damaged or packaged poorly, they can overheat, catch fire, or even explode, a situation we do not want to be in.

Lithium batteries are everywhere, including our phones, laptops, medical devices, and drones. Unsurprisingly, they are the most common tech goods to be shipped, so getting the shipping right is crucial.

Shipping dangerous goods like lithium batteries requires strict compliance with international regulations. This includes completing a Dangerous Goods Declaration, using UN-certified packaging to withstand pressure, impact, and temperature, and having the correct UN-guided labelling. Hence, understanding exactly how to transport batteries is vital.

For a complete breakdown on how to ship lithium batteries legally and safely, check out the TecEx Guide to “Shipping Lithium Batteries.”
2) Liquid Cooling Racks

Another commonly shipped tech good classified as hazardous includes liquid cooling racks. Data centers let off a vast amount of heat, and with data centers growing at a rate of 20% annually, finding better cooling systems is becoming increasingly important, leading to the growing demand for liquid-cooled racks.

Liquid-cooled racks have an extremely high cooling capacity, are energy efficient, and produce less noise pollution than alternative air conditioning systems. Yet, along with this comes the complexities of imports.

These racks often contain pressurized liquids or chemicals, making them hazardous goods. They are classified into class 3 (flammable liquids) or class 8 (corrosive substances). Shipping goods like these racks requires not only extra documentation, packaging, and labeling, but also in-depth inspections for leaks, cleaning, and decontamination of the racks before packaging.

These extra protections ensure that goods are transported safely and that these highly fragile and expensive liquid cooling racks are not harmed during the import process.
Given the fragile and high-value nature of liquid cooling racks, protecting them throughout the shipping journey is essential. TecEx’s comprehensive liability cover covers your shipment from pickup to final delivery. We cover the entire shipment value, including the freight, tariffs, and import fees, removing all stress associated with shipping dangerous goods like liquid cooling racks.
3) Capacitors

A capacitor is an electronic component that stores electrical energy. Like batteries, capacitors are found in everyday goods such as UPS systems, microwaves, smartphones, and laptops.

Capacitors often contain flammable or corrosive materials, making them dangerous goods classified under class 3 (flammable liquids) or class 8 (corrosive substances). Many importers do not realize that their shipped goods contain capacitors until they are flagged at customs, leading to shipment delays, fines, and even the confiscation of goods.

Handling capacitors during shipping requires careful attention to packaging, labelling, and documentation. Ensuring full compliance with IATA regulations and assigning the correct UN numbers is essential to avoiding any issues during shipment.

That is why it is essential to be aware of your tech goods, know what they contain, and gather the correct documents to ensure that they meet all the safety standards related to shipping dangerous goods.

Ship with Confidence

Key Takeaways of Shipping Dangerous Goods

Shipping tech means shipping dangerous goods. From lithium batteries to liquid cooling systems and capacitors, hazardous goods are everywhere, whether you realise it or not.

Shipping dangerous goods means adhering to strict international regulations. One small error can lead to shipment delays, fines, and legal consequences. Understanding the process inside and out is, therefore, crucial.

This means:

Extra documentation
Specialized packaging
Additional labelling
Added administrative costs

Noncompliance with the above will add delays and result in financial penalties. Ensuring compliance is therefore a necessity.

Leave Shipping Dangerous Goods to the Experts

The reality is that shipping dangerous goods is unavoidable in the tech industry, but don’t let the strict requirements and compliance associated with shipping hazardous materials scare you away. It is not impossible, and TecEx shipping experts will help get your goods safely through customs to where they need to be.

Our liability cover safeguards you against any damage during transit, protecting your high-risk shipments and giving you complete peace of mind.

From origin to final destination, we work to minimize all risks and ensure a stress-free experience.

Contact Our Team of Experts

What Every Tech Company Should Know About Shipping Dangerous Goods

What Are Dangerous Goods?

What Counts as a Dangerous Good in Tech

1) Lithium Batteries

2) Liquid Cooling Racks

3) Capacitors

Key Takeaways of Shipping Dangerous Goods

Leave Shipping Dangerous Goods to the Experts

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