This is part two of my series on the shipment of lithium batteries by ground in Canada and the United States. In this blog, we will now focus on the United States and the utilization of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) . For those who have read part one , you will notice that there are many similarities but, you will see the differences in marking and labeling.  

Here are some key terms that you must know to better understand how to ship lithium batteries.  

Cells are a single unit, meanwhile, batteries are multiple cells connected in a series.  

Lithium-ion is rechargeable while lithium metal is not. This is vital since the classification of lithium-ion is in watt-hour rating, meanwhile, metal batteries are in lithium content in grams.  

Alone, packed with, or contained in equipment. This is important because it will determine what UN number and proper shipping name you will be using.  

The following shipping descriptions and special provisions (SP) are to be utilized when shipping lithium batteries or cells. I will give a brief summary of each SP.   

Note the SP beginning with the letter “A” are to be utilized for air transport and won’t be covered in this blog.  

SP 181: is in reference to when a package contains a combination of lithium batteries contained in equipment and lithium batteries packed with equipment. It also layouts packaging, markings, and as well as documentation requirements.  

SP 388: is in reference to mainly two topics :  

SP 422: When labeling and placarding is required, the following must be used  

When it comes to packaging, we will focus on non-bulk   

Packaging requirements must prevent short circuits or damage caused by shifting and must prevent accidental activation of the equipment.   

Lithium cells/batteries shipped alone or with equipment:  

When UN performance packing is to be used it must meet packaging group II levels but here are exceptions :  

Lithium batteries contained in or shipped with equipment are also exempt when quantities do not exceed 5 kg net weight. When they do, and/or if batteries are shipped by themselves, they must be marked with the following two examples of a shipment of UN 3480 Lithium-ion batteries :   

*Each package must not exceed 30 kg (66 pounds) gross weight if not packages with or contained in equipment  

Another exception is for when only ground transportation is utilized the lithium content of the cell and battery may be increased to 5 g for a lithium metal cell, 25 g for a lithium metal battery, 60 Wh for a lithium-ion cell, or 300 Wh for a lithium-ion battery. The outer package that is provided is to be marked as the example below for a lithium-ion battery:   

Fully regulated shipment when not meeting any exception will require you to use the Class 9 lithium battery label and the use of UN performance packaging .  

Now when it comes to the shipment of prototype batteries, I strongly recommend reading ICC’s Michael Zendano’s blog .   

In conclusion, the basic questions you must be able to answer are:  

Knowing the answers to these questions will steer you in the right direction and prevent shipment delays due to rejections by the carrier. For additional information on Canadian shipment click here.    

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Elton Woodfine CD (Canadian Decoration) served 22 years as a member of the Canadian Forces. Initially as an Infantry section Commander in the Princess Patricia Canadian Lite Infantry (PPCLI), he served on two peace keeping missions in the former Yugoslavia, and one combat tour in Afghanistan where his unit was awarded the Governor General Unit Citation for actions in combat. He then continued to serve as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force as a firefighter, where he completed a diploma in Fire Science/ Fire-fighting from Memorial University and Occupational Health and Safety diploma from the University of New Brunswick. Lastly, in his career with the Canadian Forces, he served as a member of the Joint Incident Response Unit (CJIRU) as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Operator (CBRN Op), part of the Canadian Special Operation Command (CANSOFCOM). Upon his retirement from the Canadian Forces, he took a position as a Life Cycle Management of hazardous materials instructor for the logistical branch of the Department of National Defense and is knowledgeable in NFCC, CEPA 1999, IMHWR, TDGR, ICAO, IATA, IMDG, GHS and OH&S federal regulations.

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