IATA Warns of Undeclared Dangerous Goods Risks: Why Can't Battery and Aerosol Buyers Rely on Airport Screening Alone?
Move dangerous goods controls upstream to suppliers, packaging, and transport booking
Why procurement teams should pay attention to this warning
On September 24, IATA said that cargo screening is only one layer of the safety system and cannot replace correct declarations. IATA also said that around 80% of the dangerous goods incidents reported to it in the first half of 2025 involved undeclared or hidden dangerous goods. Common categories include lithium batteries, e-cigarettes, and aerosols.
Key point: Buyers should determine whether products are dangerous goods before placing orders and booking transport, and retain evidence of classification, testing, packaging, and declarations.
What documents should procurement teams check?
| Stage | Minimum checks | Common risks |
|---|---|---|
| Product identification | Battery chemistry, rated energy, and whether the battery is packed with equipment | Old documents are reused after a model change |
| Testing | Applicable test summaries and their correspondence to product models | The model in the report does not match the actual product |
| Packaging | Packing method, quantity limits, marks, and labels | Labels are omitted when outer cartons are replaced |
| Booking | Dangerous goods declarations and airline acceptance conditions | The freight forwarder declares the shipment as general cargo |
Buyers can specify in procurement contracts that suppliers must proactively disclose dangerous properties; any change to cells, packaging, or transport methods must be checked again; and responsibility for return freight, storage, and fines caused by incorrect declarations must be clearly allocated.
Scope
This article helps establish a procurement verification process. Specific transport requirements must still be determined by product parameters, origin, destination, carrier rules, and current dangerous goods transport regulations.
FAQ
1. Is an MSDS enough?
No. An MSDS cannot replace the testing, packaging, and transport declaration documents for the specific product.
2. What if a supplier says the product is not dangerous goods?
Buyers should request written evidence for the classification and check the product model and key parameters.
3. Who should make the final checks before shipment?
The supplier, freight forwarder, and buyer all need to confirm. The buyer should assign a person to close out the documentation and packaging checks.
What procurement teams can do now
First screen all SKUs containing batteries, pressure vessels, liquids, or chemicals. Then add dangerous goods documentation requirements to requests for quotation and shipment release checklists.
Stellar.shop content suggestion: Add four fields to supplier profiles: dangerous goods classification, test summary, packaging version, and carrier restrictions.