Air & Sea Transport
IATA DGR & IMDG Code Lithium Battery Regulations for Air and Sea
BUNCKER® is certified for air transport under IATA DGR and sea transport under the IMDG Code, enabling true multimodal lithium battery logistics from a single packaging solution.
IATA DGR 65th Ed.
IMDG Amendment 41
RID 2025
ADR 2026
Multimodal
IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR)
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations, universally known as IATA DGR, is the global standard for the safe transport of dangerous goods by air. It is updated annually and is more restrictive than any other transport mode regulation for lithium batteries.
IATA DGR is technically derived from the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, but incorporates additional airline and freight operator restrictions. Compliance is a legal requirement for any party tendering dangerous goods to airlines, freight forwarders or ground handling agents.
For lithium batteries, IATA DGR defines two tiers of compliance:
- Section II, Applies to small quantities of lithium batteries (e.g. consumer electronics). Simplified requirements.
- Section I, Applies to larger quantities and standalone battery shipments. More stringent packaging, marking, labelling and documentation requirements.
Damaged, defective and recalled batteries are subject to the most restrictive provisions in IATA DGR and require packaging equivalent to UN P911 performance. BUNCKER® satisfies these requirements in full.
IATA Packing Instructions for Lithium Batteries
| PI | Battery Type | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| PI 965 | Lithium ion | Standalone batteries |
| PI 966 | Lithium ion | Packed with equipment |
| PI 967 | Lithium ion | Contained in equipment |
| PI 968 | Lithium metal | Standalone batteries |
| PI 969 | Lithium metal | Packed with equipment |
| PI 970 | Lithium metal | Contained in equipment |
BUNCKER® satisfies the packaging requirements applicable to damaged and defective batteries under all packing instructions (PI 965–970), including Section I provisions.
IMDG Code: Key Facts
- Full name: International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
- Issued by: International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- Current edition: Amendment 41-22
- Update cycle: Biennial (every 2 years)
- Legal basis: SOLAS Convention, Chapter VII
- Lithium class: Class 9: UN3480, UN3481, UN3090, UN3091
- BUNCKER® status: Full compliance: all models
IMDG Code for Sea Transport
The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code is the mandatory framework for shipping dangerous goods by sea, issued by the International Maritime Organization. It applies to all vessels engaged in international voyages carrying packaged dangerous goods as cargo.
The IMDG Code is updated biennially and incorporates changes from the UN Model Regulations, ensuring alignment with ADR and RID wherever possible. For lithium batteries, classified as Class 9, the IMDG Code has progressively tightened requirements over successive amendments.
Amendment 41-22 (current edition) includes specific provisions for:
- Damaged, defective and recalled lithium batteries, requiring P911-equivalent containment
- State-of-charge restrictions for batteries transported by sea
- Enhanced stowage and segregation requirements for battery shipments
- Documentation requirements aligned with the UN Model Regulations
BUNCKER® meets all IMDG Code requirements for Class 9 lithium battery sea transport. Our units are suitable for container shipments, RoRo vessels and general cargo operations.
RID: Regulations Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail
RID (from the French: Règlement concernant le transport International ferroviaire des marchandises Dangereuses) is the international framework for transporting dangerous goods by rail. It forms Appendix C of the Convention Concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) and is legally binding for all COTIF contracting states across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
RID is maintained and updated jointly with ADR by the Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP.15) of the UNECE. As a result, RID and ADR share the same classification system, packaging requirements, marking conventions and documentation standards, with only minor mode-specific variations. Packaging certified for ADR road transport is simultaneously suitable for RID rail transport, without the need for separate testing or certification.
For lithium batteries, RID 2025 applies the same Class 9 provisions, Special Provisions and packaging instructions as ADR 2025, including the requirement for P911/LP906 packaging for damaged, defective and suspected batteries under Special Provision 376. BUNCKER® is compliant with RID 2025 and updated in parallel with each ADR edition.
The practical significance: if your supply chain involves road-to-rail transfers, for example, connecting European distribution centres with rail freight corridors, you do not need to repackage between modes. One BUNCKER® unit, one set of documentation, one certification. Road to rail and back again.
All Four Transport Modes: At a Glance
BUNCKER® holds valid certification for every international dangerous goods transport regulation. The table below summarises the framework, authority, update cycle and BUNCKER®'s certification status for each mode.
| Regulation | Transport Mode | Authority | Update Cycle | BUNCKER® Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADR 2026 | Road | UNECE | Biennial (odd years) | Certified |
| IMDG Amendment 41 | Sea | IMO | Biennial | Certified |
| IATA DGR 65th Edition | Air | IATA / ICAO | Annual | Certified |
| RID 2025 | Rail | OTIF / UNECE | Biennial (with ADR) | Certified |
One Package: All Transport Modes
The ability to ship a single packaging unit across all four transport modes is not a convenience feature, it is a significant operational and commercial advantage for any company managing complex lithium battery logistics.
Traditional approaches require separate packaging solutions for each mode: one certified for road, another for air, a third for sea. Each requires separate documentation, separate training, separate stock management and separate audit trails. The administrative overhead alone is substantial.
BUNCKER® eliminates this complexity entirely. A single unit, certified once, covers the complete journey, from road pickup to sea freight to final-mile road delivery, or from road collection to air cargo to inland distribution. No repacking. No re-certification. No additional documentation per mode.
Ship lithium batteries anywhere in the world.
Talk to our team about multimodal certification, transport documentation and the right BUNCKER® model for your logistics operation.