What is UN38.3?

UN38.3 is Clause 38.3 of Part 3 of the "United Nations Manual of Tests and Standards for the Transport of Dangerous Goods" specially formulated by the United Nations for the transport of dangerous goods. The relevant provisions of the "Dangerous Goods Regulations" of the Air Transport Association have formulated the lithium battery operation specification, that is, the test of UN38.3 (UNDOT).

Lithium batteries need to comply with the Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for air transport and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Regulations (IMDG) for maritime transport.

According to the current rules, the premise of transportation of lithium batteries is that there must be a test report that meets the requirements of UN38.3, and an appraisal report of the cargo transportation conditions that proves compliance with the new version of DGR and IMDG rules, and a 1.2m drop test report if necessary.

New lithium battery requirements for FBA sellers: As of January 1, 2020, battery manufacturers and distributors must provide lithium battery test summaries in accordance with United Nations Standard UN38.3. This new global requirement applies to lithium batteries and products containing lithium batteries, and it is your responsibility as a FBA seller to obtain this test summary for any ASINs you sell. If you do not provide this summary, you may not be able to sell on Amazon. Additionally, all merchandise for this ASIN in our fulfillment centers may be disposed of at your own expense.

In 2020, in addition to Amazon's mandatory requirements for UN38.3, there are also updates to UN38.3 requirements. In the major update of UN38.3 in 2020, the test report must be covered with the CNAS chapter, and a test summary needs to be added. The conditions for applying for air transportation are: battery UN38.3 test report, 1.2-meter drop test report, test summary report, packaging picture, power of attorney, and transportation guarantee letter for batteries shipped separately.

Why apply for UN38.3 report?

Products containing lithium batteries or batteries alone are dangerous during transportation, so Air China Cargo Co., Ltd. has announced the operation specifications for rechargeable lithium batteries transported as non-dangerous goods. The specifications clearly point out that each type of primary battery and Batteries, which need to be tested to prove compliance with the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria for the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Part 3, Paragraph 38.3, namely UN38.3.

UN38.3 certified product range:

1. Various power lithium secondary batteries (such as batteries for power vehicles, batteries for electric road vehicles, batteries for electric tools, batteries for hybrid vehicles, etc.)

2. Various mobile phone lithium batteries (such as lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, etc.)

3. Various small lithium secondary batteries (such as notebook computer batteries, digital camera batteries, video camera batteries, various cylindrical batteries, wireless communication batteries, portable DVD batteries, CD and MP3 player batteries, etc.)

4. Various lithium primary batteries (such as lithium button batteries, lithium manganese batteries, etc.)

Process steps to apply for Amazon UN38.3 test report:

1. Application

1. Determine the shipping port and how to export the goods (shipped with battery, battery shipped separately?)

2. Fill in the UN38.3 application form

3. Provide battery specifications

4. Provide samples

Second, the quotation, according to the information provided to determine the test time and the corresponding cost.

3. Payment, after the applicant confirms the quotation, signs the application form and service agreement and pays the full project fee.

4. Testing, the laboratory conducts a full set of tests on the applied products according to relevant testing standards.

5. The test is passed and the report is completed

6. The project is completed and the appraisal certificate is issued

Is battery UN38.3 certification necessary?

UN38.3 certification is a safety and performance test. As long as the shipping package for air transportation is involved, as long as it contains lithium batteries, it needs to be certified, even if it is a button-sized battery or installed on some equipment. All batteries need to be tested by UN38.3. They must pass the test and have an air transportation appraisal report before they can pass the air inspection smoothly, so as to ensure the safety of air transportation!