Last updated: September 2026

Lithium batteries ship under one of four UN numbers: UN 3480 covers lithium-ion batteries shipped on their own, UN 3481 lithium-ion batteries packed with or contained in equipment, UN 3090 lithium-metal batteries shipped alone, and UN 3091 lithium-metal batteries packed with or contained in equipment. Chemistry picks the pair; the packing relationship picks the number — under the 2026 IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (67th Edition) and the IMDG Code. This guide gives you the four-way table first, then the trap cases that misclassify real shipments leaving China. For the full lane picture — chemistry, watt-hours, test documents, mode — start with our battery shipping from China hub.

The four-way table: chemistry × packing relationship

Two questions decide your UN number. First, what chemistry: lithium-ion (rechargeable) or lithium-metal (typically non-rechargeable). Second, where the battery sits relative to the equipment it powers: shipped alone, packed in the same box as the device, or installed inside the device. The 2026 IATA DGR (Class 9, miscellaneous dangerous goods) maps the answers directly:

Chemistry

Shipped alone

Packed with equipment

Contained in equipment

Lithium-ion

UN 3480 — "Lithium ion batteries" — PI 965

UN 3481 — "…packed with equipment" — PI 966

UN 3481 — "…contained in equipment" — PI 967

Lithium metal

UN 3090 — "Lithium metal batteries" — PI 968

UN 3091 — "…packed with equipment" — PI 969

UN 3091 — "…contained in equipment" — PI 970

Sodium-ion (organic electrolyte, since 2026)

UN 3551 — PI 976

UN 3552 — PI 977

UN 3552 — PI 978

(Source: IATA Lithium Battery Guidance Document based on the 67th Edition DGR and 2025–2026 ICAO Technical Instructions; packing-instruction mapping cross-checked against the 2026 battery shipping regulations guide. Retrieved September 2026; credibility: High / Medium.)

A useful mnemonic: the number ending in 0 ships alone ("batteries only"), the number ending in 1 ships with equipment — and lithium-ion takes the higher pair (348x), lithium-metal the lower (309x). Note one subtlety in the table: UN 3481 and UN 3091 each cover two proper shipping names ("packed with" and "contained in") and two different packing instructions — the UN number alone doesn't tell your carrier how the battery was packed, which is why the packing relationship belongs on your booking sheet, not just the label.

Why the packing relationship changes the number

Regulators treat a battery alone as a bigger risk than the same battery inside a device. A standalone cell or pack is unprotected cargo: it must survive drops and short-circuits on its own packaging, its state of charge matters more, and a thermal runaway has nothing around it to contain the event. A battery installed in equipment is physically secured and usually partially discharged; a battery packed with its device sits between the two. That risk ladder is why the framework on our battery shipping hub sorts every shipment into standalone / packed with / contained in before quoting — the same three buckets the UN numbers encode.

The definition of "equipment" is narrower than shippers expect. Per the IATA guidance FAQ, equipment means the apparatus the battery is designed to power. Two consequences trip up real export cartons:

  • A power bank shipped with a phone is not "packed with equipment." The power bank is itself a spare lithium-ion battery: it classifies as UN 3480 under PI 965 (at or below 30% state of charge), even when the phone sits in the same outer box. The phone's installed battery remains UN 3481 under PI 967 Section II. (Source: IATA Battery Guidance FAQ D.02, retrieved September 2026; credibility: High.)

  • Batteries plus a charger, AC adapter, or cables are UN 3480, not UN 3481. An adapter does not count as equipment because the batteries do not power it. Ship laptop batteries with a bare charger and you are declaring "Lithium ion batteries," PI 965. (Source: IATA Battery Guidance FAQ D.05; credibility: High.)

What the number decides downstream

Pick the wrong number and everything attached to it is wrong — packing instruction, state of charge, aircraft type, package limits, marks, and paperwork.

State of charge (SoC). All lithium-ion cells shipped alone (UN 3480) must fly at no more than 30% of rated capacity; a higher charge needs approvals from the states of origin and the operator under Special Provision A331. From 1 January 2026 this 30% ceiling extends to lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment under PI 966 Section I (and Section II above 2.7 Wh) — one of the year's most-missed changes. For batteries contained in equipment (PI 967), reduced charge is recommended, not mandated. Lithium-metal batteries have no SoC concept. (Sources: IATA Battery Guidance Document; IATA DGR 67 Addendum; retrieved September 2026; credibility: High.)

Aircraft type. Batteries shipped on their own — UN 3480, UN 3090, and since 2026 UN 3551 — are forbidden as cargo on passenger aircraft. These move cargo aircraft only, with the CAO label on every package (an A201 exemption route exists with state approvals). Batteries packed with or contained in equipment may fly on passenger aircraft within weight limits. (Sources: IATA Battery Guidance Document; IATA 2026 guidance update summary; credibility: High / Medium.)

Package limits. Fully regulated batteries with equipment (PI 966/967/969/970/977/978 Section I): up to 5 kg of batteries per package on passenger aircraft, 35 kg cargo-aircraft-only. Exception-level Section II shipments: 5 kg per package on either. UN 3480 Section IA runs to 35 kg per package, cargo aircraft only. (Source: IATA Battery Guidance FAQ E.09; retrieved September 2026; credibility: High.)

Marks and documents. The lithium-battery mark carries the UN number in characters at least 12 mm high; fully regulated packages add the Class 9 battery label, and Section IB/IA standalone batteries add CAO. One US-rule nuance: if a single package holds batteries both packed with and contained in equipment, the proper shipping name is "Lithium ion batteries packed with equipment" (49 CFR special provision 181), and where different UN numbers share a package, every applicable number must appear on the marks. The lithium battery shipping labels guide breaks down label sizes and placement. A UN 38.3 test summary (UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Rev. 8, §38.3.5) must be available from the manufacturer for cells and batteries regardless of which UN number applies.

A four-step check before you ask for a quote

  1. Chemistry from the datasheet, not the product name — "lithium" alone is ambiguous. Sodium-ion with organic electrolyte now takes UN 3551/3552; sodium-ion with aqueous alkali electrolyte is UN 2795, and hybrid lithium+sodium packs follow new 67th-edition classification guidance. (Sources: IATA Battery Guidance; DGR 67 Significant Changes; credibility: High.)

  2. Installed or separate? Installed → "contained in equipment." Separate → next question.

  3. Separate: with the device it powers, or truly alone / with accessories only? With its device → "packed with equipment." Alone or with chargers, adapters, cables → the battery-shipped-alone number (3480/3090).

  4. Watt-hour rating and state of charge — they set the section, the SoC ceiling, and whether the lane is air or sea.

Same numbers by sea

The IMDG Code (2024 Edition, Amendment 42-24) uses the same four UN numbers and proper shipping names, and the packing-relationship logic is identical. What changes by sea is the add-ons: the 30% SoC ceiling and the passenger-aircraft ban are air rules, while ocean carriage has its own stowage and segregation requirements for standalone batteries. Declare the same number on the booking either way — the mode changes the obligations, not the identity.

FAQ

What is the difference between UN 3480 and UN 3481? UN 3480 is lithium-ion batteries shipped on their own; UN 3481 is lithium-ion batteries packed with or contained in equipment. UN 3480 flies cargo-aircraft-only at ≤30% state of charge under PI 965; UN 3481 uses PI 966 or 967 and may fly on passenger aircraft within 5 kg per package (IATA DGR 2026; High).

Is a power bank UN 3480 or UN 3481? UN 3480. A power bank is a spare battery, not equipment, so it stays under PI 965 even when packed in the same box as the phone it will charge (IATA Battery Guidance FAQ D.02; High).

What is the difference between UN 3090 and UN 3091? UN 3090 is lithium-metal batteries shipped alone (PI 968); UN 3091 is lithium-metal batteries packed with or contained in equipment (PI 969/970). Like UN 3480, standalone lithium-metal batteries are forbidden on passenger aircraft (IATA DGR 2026; High).

Can UN 3480 batteries go on a passenger aircraft? No — as cargo they are forbidden on passenger aircraft and require the Cargo Aircraft Only label; a rare exception needs state approvals under A201 (IATA Battery Guidance; High).

Do batteries packed with a charger or cables count as "packed with equipment"? No. Equipment means the apparatus the batteries power; chargers and adapters don't qualify, so the shipment classifies as UN 3480/3090 (IATA Battery Guidance FAQ D.05; High).

What if one package has installed batteries and spare batteries? Declare both: e.g., power banks as UN 3480 and the device as UN 3481 — the declaration lists the UN 3480, and marks show every UN number present. Where one package mixes "packed with" and "contained in," US rules use the "packed with equipment" proper shipping name (49 CFR SP 181) (IATA FAQ D.02; PHMSA Lithium Battery Guide; High).

What UN number do sodium-ion batteries use? Since the 2026 edition: UN 3551 alone (PI 976, cargo-aircraft-only, ≤30% SoC) and UN 3552 packed with or contained in equipment (PI 977/978). Sodium-ion with aqueous alkali electrolyte is UN 2795 instead (IATA Battery Guidance, DGR 67; High).

Sources

All sources retrieved September 2026.

  1. IATA — Lithium Battery Guidance Document (based on the 67th Edition, 2026, DGR and the 2025–2026 ICAO Technical Instructions) — High (classification list, PI mapping, SoC, CAO, FAQs D.02/D.05, package limits).

  2. IATA — DGR 67th Edition, Addendum 1 (1 January 2026) — High (battery-mark UN numbers; sodium-ion entries).

  3. IATA — DGR 67th Edition, Significant Changes — High (hybrid lithium+sodium classification; new entries).

  4. PHMSA (US DOT) — Lithium Battery Guide for Shippers — High (49 CFR proper-shipping-name selection; SP 181; mark content).

  5. Dangerous Goods Online Training — IATA's 2026 Battery Guidance Update (Feb 2026) — Medium (passenger-aircraft prohibition summary).

  6. Master Instruments — Sodium Ion Batteries by Air, Compliance Summary (DGR 67) — Medium (PI 976/977/978 limits).

  7. batteryshipment.com — Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations, 2026 Guide — Medium (PI-by-UN table; IMDG Amendment 42-24 reference).

Not legal advice: dangerous-goods classification is ultimately the shipper's responsibility, and carrier rules can be stricter than the regulations. Unsure which number your shipment is? Send the datasheet and packing photos through the contact page and we will classify the battery before you book.