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All about lithium battery shipping

If you have ever purchased electronic devices containing batteries, you may have heard of lithium. Considered as a dangerous material, the transport of lithium is very regulated in air freight and must respect certain rules. We explain everything you need to know about lithium battery shipments ! 

What is lithium ? 

For the less scientific among us, lithium is a light metal used in the composition of most batteries since the 90s. The small size of the atom makes it possible to create ultra-light batteries with an exceptional energy density.

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Why is the shipment of lithium batteries regulated ? 

Lithium is considered a hazardous material because it presents risks of overheating and ignition during transport.  It must be packaged with a certain type of packaging and have a sticker indicating the nature of the lithium. In addition, it must be accompanied by a special declaration in certain cases. Nevertheless, its shipment is quite easy if the rules and quantities imposed by the air carriers are respected. 

Sending a lithium battery by air transport

Please note: the information given below is only valid for air travel from France and the United States to other countries. 

On Easy Delivery, we offer you 3 carriers to deliver your packages worldwide Chronopost, UPS and DHL. All these carriers have the possibility to transport lithium, each under certain conditions that we detail below. 

Send a lithium battery with Chronopost, DHL or UPS

For Chronopost, UPS and DHL, the quantities and conditions are quite similar, although a little more flexible. 

  • Batteries and cells can be contained in one or more equipment OR packed with the equipment. For example: an electric drill can be sent with a spare battery. 
  • A package cannot contain more than four batteries or four cells.
  • For the lithium-ion batteriesthe power must not exceed 20 Wh per cell or 100 Wh per battery. 
  • The batteries lithium-métal must not contain more than 1g of lithium per cell and 2g of lithium per battery.

The sending of this declaration is not free of charge 10€ at Chronopost, 27€ at DHL and UPS. 

If you have a lithium battery in your package and you want to ship with one of these carriers, you can contact our team who will make the appropriate declaration. 

 

From the USA, with DHL or UPS, the rules are even less restrictive. Indeed, it is possible to send 4 batteries or 4 batteries integrated in a product, without declaration. 

What should I do if my package is blocked because of lithium?

If your package is blocked because of an undeclared battery or lithium cell, there is unfortunately not much you can do. You have to wait for the return of the package and make a new shipment with a duly completed declaration this time!

Special cases prohibited in air transport

Although the conditions for sending lithium are rather simple, there are exceptions and prohibitions: 

  • The Single batteries, without equipment, cannot be shipped with a standard declaration. They can still be shipped with certain licenses. Ask your forwarder if this is possible.
  • The powerbanks or external batteries are also prohibited in air transport. As for batteries alone, they can be shipped with certain documents. 

You now know more about lithium and its transport conditions. If you need to ship a parcel with a lithium battery, contact our customer service who will advise you ! 

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