In cross-border trade, if power banks are delayed, fined or even confiscated in transit, this not only pushes up logistics costs but can also throw your product launch timetable off course. Faced with complex rules for air freight, sea freight and international couriers, together with strict controls on Class 9 dangerous goods, buyers sourcing customised power banks from overseas need to make informed choices. They have to strike the right balance between safety, cost and lead time. This article explains the main rules for transporting power banks in detail and is designed to help you ship with confidence.
1 Categories of Transport Options for Power Banks
Compared with ordinary goods, power banks pose a greater safety risk: during transport they may short-circuit or even catch fire, so they are tightly regulated under international rules. These restrictions are designed to keep transport safe and to help consignments reach their destination without incident.
At present, power banks are shipped mainly in two ways: as general cargo or as declared dangerous goods. The key points of each option are set out in the table below.
| Judgement dimension | General cargo transportation conditions ✅ | Transport Conditions of Dangerous Goods ⚠ |
| Energy limitation | Single battery energy ≤ 20 Wh
Or the total energy of the battery pack ≤ 100 Wh |
Single battery energy > 20 Wh
or battery pack total energy > 100 Wh |
| Safety testing | It must pass UN38.3 test and 1.2m drop test with packaging box. | Must pass UN38.3 testing and packaging qualification. |
| Packaging requirements | Get special clause SP188 exemption :
It is necessary to prevent short circuit, strong outer packaging, must be posted in the outer box of lithium battery tag |
It is necessary to use the standard dangerous goods packaging ( UN mark ), and post the 9th category of dangerous goods label, and obtain the dangerous package certificate through packaging identification. |
2 Depth comparison of mobile power supply transportation mode
The common modes of transportation of mobile power include sea transportation, air transportation and international express delivery. Therefore, in the face of huge goods, how to balance timeliness and cost is a key consideration. The following will elaborate on these modes of transportation in detail :
| Mode of transport | Applicable scenarios | Aging | Core Advantages |
| International Express ( DHL, UPS, FedEx ) | Small batch, replenishment urgent, sample delivery | 3-7 days | There are strict exclusive channels, fast timeliness, door-to-door services. |
| Shipping by sea | Heavy goods, large volume, conventional stocking | January-February | The unit cost is the lowest |
| Air transport | Small, urgent, high value, high season replenishment | 1-2 weeks | The balance between timeliness and cost |
3 Suggestions on the selection of power bank transportation mode
3.1 Look at the amount and amount of goods
According to the weight and value of the goods, the mode of transportation is selected. It is suggested that small, urgent and high-value goods should be transported by air or express, while large, heavy and non-urgent goods should be transported by sea with lower cost.
3.2 Look at the market rhythm
See the market rhythm to choose the mode of transportation, conventional stocking, the main inventory to choose shipping, peak season, sudden out of stock, rapid test of new products market feedback to choose air transport and international express.
3.3 Select battery-specific channels
Since the transportation of mobile power sources is strictly regulated by international regulations, in order to ensure safety and smooth customs clearance, it is necessary to choose a special logistics channel with the qualification to handle lithium batteries.
4 Mobile power supply transportation specification and compliance
In order to ensure the safety during the transportation of mobile power and to reach the destination smoothly, it is necessary to strictly abide by the mobile power transportation specifications, which can be considered from the following aspects :
4.1 Packaging specification
The internal and external packaging needs to be strong to avoid the movement or extrusion of the mobile power supply inside. The internal protection measures need to be paid attention to. The mobile power supply should be strictly mixed with other goods without any isolation. The mobile power supply with single cell > 20 Wh or multi-cell total energy > 100 Wh needs to use UN packaging ( through sealing, compression, drop and other tests ), and the dangerous package certificate is obtained through packaging identification.
4.2 Labels and Tags
For mobile power supply with single cell > 20 Wh or multi-cell total energy > 100 Wh, 9 types of dangerous goods labels and UN labels must be posted on the outer packaging ; although the mobile power supply with single cell ≤ 20Wh or multi-cell total energy ≤ 100Wh is exempted and can be transported according to ordinary goods, the outer packaging box must post a special lithium battery tag.
4.3 File preparation
Regardless of the energy of the mobile power battery and whether it belongs to category 9 dangerous goods, UN38.3 test report and MSDS report are necessary conditions. It is necessary to prepare in advance and obtain the identification report in advance by sea and air transportation.
4.4 Charging status
For safety reasons, the charging capacity of air-shipped lithium-ion batteries should not exceed 30 % of their rated capacity.
Joway is a professional power bank plant integrating design, R & D and production. It has been precipitated in the field of mobile power for more than 20 years. If you are looking for a professional and reliable power bank plant cooperation, please contact us for exclusive quotation !
5 Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 power bank transport why choose professional freight forwarding ?
Answer : Professional freight forwarders are familiar with the requirements of different shipping companies and destination ports, and inform you in advance of the documents you need to prepare to avoid subsequent high fines. Unprofessional freight forwarders may face the risk of withholding goods.
Q2 goods are detained by customs, what is the usual reason ?
A : Common reasons are : incomplete document preparation or does not meet the requirements, packaging marks are not standardized, product certification problems or false declarations.
Q3 As a professional mobile power plant, what transport support can we provide ?
Answer : Prepare standard UN38.3 test reports and MSDS documents in advance, ship strictly in accordance with the requirements of mobile power packaging, have professional freight forwarding companies with many years of cooperation, have professional safety engineers, familiar with customs declaration process, etc., plan a reasonable transportation plan according to your actual situation !
