In short
- Aerosol cans, devices with lithium batteries, alcohol-based cosmetics, some cleaners — none of these feel alarming in daily life, yet all travel as dangerous goods.
- The verdict sets every downstream action: which packaging, which labels, whether a carrier will accept the booking, and what may sit beside it in the same container.
- Get classification wrong and everything after it is a repair job. This page covers how the verdict is reached, who reaches it, and what you do with it.
Who decides: three parties, and the shipper is not one of them
The shipper supplies facts. An accredited body issues the verdict. The carrier accepts cargo on the strength of documents, not descriptions.
- The shipper provides accurate information — composition, concentration, intended use, flash point, whether cells are fitted. This is the only part nobody else can supply.
- An accredited testing body issues the conclusion, assigning the class, UN number and packing group on the basis of the transport rules.
- The carrier accepts on the documents. The dangerous goods desk reads a report, not your assurance that "it is basically fine".
- When in doubt, ask as dangerous goods — never gamble as general cargo. Declaring costs money and time; a misdeclaration finding is a different category of problem.
The nine classes, by hazard type
Classes describe the nature of the hazard, not the level of danger. Packing groups then add the intensity within a class.
| Class | Hazard | Common examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Explosives | Mass or local explosion risk | Fireworks, some gas generators (rarely shipped commercially) |
| 2 Gases | Compressed, liquefied or dissolved gas | Aerosols, lighter refills, extinguishers, industrial gases |
| 3 Flammable liquids | Low flash point, vapour ignites readily | Paints, coatings, adhesives, thinners, alcohol-based goods |
| 4 Flammable solids | Self-heating, or emits flammable gas on contact with water | Metal powders, activated carbon, some sulphides |
| 5 Oxidising substances | Feeds combustion, reacts violently with organics | Hydrogen peroxide, persulphates, some bleaches |
| 6 Toxic substances | Poisonous by ingestion, inhalation or skin contact | Some pesticides, chemical intermediates |
| 7 Radioactive material | Ionising radiation | Industrial radiography sources, some instruments (special permit) |
| 8 Corrosives | Attacks metal, burns skin | Acids and alkalis, plating chemicals, battery electrolyte |
| 9 Miscellaneous | Everything not covered above | Lithium batteries, magnetic material, dry ice, some environment-hazardous goods |
What the verdict contains: three fields, none optional
- UN number — the four-digit identifier. The same product may take different numbers depending on how it is presented (lithium batteries are the classic case).
- Proper shipping name — the name the rules prescribe, not your commercial name. The description on the bill and the declaration must map to it.
- Class plus packing group — decides packaging, marking, stowage and segregation.
- Once these are fixed, five documents must agree word for word: MSDS, test report, booking declaration, customs declaration and bill of lading. Any "close but different" wording is a handle for an inspection.
Cargo most often shipped as general goods
| Cargo | Where the hazard lies | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment with lithium cells | Fitted or spare cells push the whole unit into class 9 | Separate "cells alone" from "fitted in equipment" |
| Aerosol sprays | Pressure and propellant inside the can — class 2 | Declare as gas, never as "cosmetics" |
| Alcohol-based cosmetics and sanitisers | Alcohol is both a flammable liquid and an ingredient | Get concentration and flash point, do not assume general cargo |
| Lighters and matches | The two are treated differently; lighters are often mistaken for trinkets | Confirm against the rules, not by appearance |
| Paints, adhesives, thinners | Flash point draws the class 3 line | Obtain an actual flash point, not "solvent-based" |
| Magnetic material and magnetised equipment | Class 9, affects booking and aircraft loading | Declare early to avoid rejection at loading |
After the verdict: three places that must match
Classification is only useful if it survives contact with paperwork. These three are where mismatches surface.
- The test report, the booking declaration and the customs description must carry the same proper shipping name and UN number.
- Labels and markings on the package must match the class and packing group on the report — physically, not just on paper.
- Any change of supplier, formulation or packaging form invalidates the previous verdict and requires a fresh confirmation.
Rule of thumb Confirm classification once, properly, before the booking. Re-confirming is cheap. Correcting a misdeclaration after loading is not.
Related pages
Reading an MSDS for ShippingExporting Lithium BatteriesDG Packaging & MarkingBooking Dangerous GoodsImporting ChemicalsHS Classification Guide
This page summarizes field practice and publicly available Indonesian import rules for general business reference only—it is not legal, customs, or pricing advice. Customs provisions, tariff rates, and licensing requirements keep changing, so the rules in force at the time and the official processing result always prevail. Wuhan Freedom International Logistics Co., Ltd. · Licensed PPJK in Indonesia · Jakarta / Semarang / Wuhan.