The Why, What, and How of Shipping Electronics Overseas.
What do a phone, a camera, a laptop all have in common?
Lithium batteries.
They are one of the most common ways to power any appliance, especially for daily electronic necessities.
When you’re looking to ship laptops, or any other kind of electronics overseas, most shipping companies will flag this issue up to you. Does your item contain lithium-ion or lithium-metal batteries? Will they be packed together with the electronic appliance? What’s the total weight?
Not only are there multiple restrictions that will lead to a mountain of paperwork, but there are also certain countries that outright ban lithium batteries from being shipped in, such as Vietnam.
JustShip customers regularly want to ship laptops, iphones, handphones internationally, but are unaware or unsure of the regulations in place.
We’ve put together this article to address all your concerns about shipping lithium batteries overseas.
Why can’t you ship lithium batteries overseas? / Why are lithium batteries so heavily restricted ?
For most countries, lithium batteries are regarded as dangerous goods, and therefore a restricted item for international shipping.
These batteries are highly flammable in nature and prolonged exposure to high temperatures will increase the risk of overheating. When batteries overheat, the potential of an explosion is high. Just last year in Singapore, there were a string of fires caused by exploded Personal Moving Devices (PMDs)’s lithium batteries.
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When items are stored in the cargo of the plane, temperatures can go extremely high or low. As such, the chance of explosions increases. For everyone’s safety, lithium batteries are generally unsafe for long-distance international parcel shipping.
Can lithium batteries be shipped? / What are the paperwork and restrictions in place?
Lithium battery shipments are regulated by the IATA, which stands for International Air Transport Association. More information here.
If you’ve tried to ship any form of electronic overseas via Singpost, you may have been turned away. This is because Singpost classifies them as dangerous goods.
With JustShip, you can ship lithium batteries precisely due to our partnership with FedEx International Priority. However, not all FedEx services allow for restricted item shipping – you can’t ship lithium batteries with FedEx International Economy.
FedEx has their own fleet of airplanes, which allows them to ship what they want. Similarly, they are not dependent on commercial passenger airplanes flights which is also the reason why the time it takes to ship internationally is so short.
These are the following restrictions in place when shipping lithium batteries:
- Additional paperwork in the form of a shipper’s declaration, and/or a permit must accompany the shipment.
- Certain types of box packing must be in place or the lithium battery shipment will be rejected.
- Depending on the shipment specifications, dangerous goods stickers, labels, must also be displayed clearly on the packing.
- FedEx charges additional to handle battery shipments of a certain weight. Minimum billable weight may also apply.
If you’re looking to ship internationally and are unsure of what to do, contact us for more information.
How can I ship my electronics overseas?
By choosing JustShip. We have all the knowledge and resources for packing, labeling, and paperwork at our disposal. We also offer the most competitive rates in the Singapore international shipping market.
JustShip offers cheap international shipping including picking and packing. Got a question? Contact us by WhatsApp to speak to a customer service representative. Got a package? Ship with us today.
