Common documents for lithium-battery air shipping: what helps in an inquiry

When TANGRENWAN ONLINE assesses a pure-battery international express shipment, we look at the cargo type, packing, destination and any documents you already have. The clearer the documents, the more specific our quote can be. If you do not yet have a complete file, you can still inquire; in our reply we will say whether anything still needs to be provided.

Materials that are often useful

You do not have to send every item below with the first inquiry. If you already have them, please include them:

• The test summary, often called the UN 38.3 test summary. It shows that the cell or battery has completed the relevant tests, and is a document frequently requested for lithium batteries moving by air.
• A safety data sheet (SDS or MSDS). It helps us understand the product’s basic hazards and emergency information.
• The UN number and a short proper shipping name. If you already know them — for example a common number used for lithium-ion batteries — including them can reduce back-and-forth.
• Photographs of the packing, or a short description of the outer and inner packing. Loose cells, packed batteries and devices that contain a battery start from different packing points; photographs are often clearer than a verbal description.

What can be sent later

For a first inquiry, the essentials remain the cargo type, packing, weight and destination. If the test summary, safety data sheet or packing photographs are still being prepared, they can be added after the conversation has started. We do not treat “a complete document file first” as a condition for making an inquiry.

Some destinations, carriers or products may still require particular documents before a shipment can move. That will be stated in the quote for that consignment — we do not publish here a single list that applies to every lane.

Documents do not replace a case-by-case check

Even when the file is complete, whether a given shipment can move, and how it can be carried, still depends on the product itself, the packing, the documents, and the carrier and destination rules in force at the time — and those rules can change. This is a general overview, not legal advice and not a substitute for a shipment-specific check. We do not publish a live tariff here.

If you already have some of the details or documents, you can send them through our rate-inquiry form, by email or WhatsApp. The more complete they are, the more useful the assessment can be.