What is Dangerous Goods?
Dangerous goods (DG), called hazardous materials in US regulation, are substances and articles that pose a risk to health, safety, property or the environment during transport. They are classified into nine hazard classes under the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, identified by a four-digit UN number and proper shipping name, and for most classes assigned a packing group reflecting the degree of danger. The UN model is applied through modal rules: the IMDG Code for sea, mandatory under SOLAS chapter VII since 1 January 2004; the ICAO Technical Instructions for air, applied in practice through the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations; ADR for road transport in Europe; and the Hazardous Materials Regulations in 49 CFR in the US. The IMDG Code is amended on a two-year cycle, with Amendment 42-24 mandatory from 1 January 2026, and IATA publishes a new DGR edition effective each 1 January.
Why it matters for forwarders
The shipper is responsible for correct classification, packaging, marking, labelling and documentation, but forwarders who accept, book or consolidate DG take on their own obligations and need trained, certified staff. The most damaging failures are undeclared or misdeclared DG, such as lithium batteries, perfumes, aerosols or chemicals booked as general cargo, which can cause ship and aircraft fires, fines and loss of carrier acceptance. Carriers apply their own acceptance rules, surcharges and DG cutoffs that are often stricter than the codes, and some lanes, ports or aircraft types refuse certain classes. By air, lithium ion batteries packed by themselves (UN 3480) must ship at no more than 30 percent state of charge, and from 1 January 2026 the same limit applies to most lithium ion batteries packed with equipment. Prepare the DG declaration, packing certificate and segregation check before the booking cutoff, not after.