Last updated: September 2026
UN 3480 and UN 3090 cover lithium batteries shipped on their own — UN 3480 for lithium-ion (rechargeable, including lithium-polymer) chemistry, UN 3090 for lithium metal. UN 3481 and UN 3091 cover the same two chemistries shipped with or inside equipment: a spare battery packed in the same box as its device, or a battery installed in the device. Two questions pick the number: the chemistry, and the battery's relationship to the equipment (2026 IATA DGR, 67th Edition; IMDG Code 42-24). This page maps the battery shipping from China packing relationships to the exact UN number, packing instruction, and consequence.
The two questions that pick your UN number
Every lithium battery classification starts with the same two questions, in the same order (IATA DGR 3.9.2.6; IMDG Code 2.9.4):
Question 1 — what chemistry?
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable secondary batteries where lithium is present only in ionic form in the electrolyte — including lithium-polymer. Phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, solar storage.
Lithium metal batteries are generally primary (non-rechargeable) batteries with lithium metal or alloy as the anode — watch cells, key fobs, calculators, some medical sensors.
Question 2 — what is the battery's relationship to the equipment? "Equipment" means the device or apparatus the battery is designed to power — not the box, not the charger, not the cables (IATA Lithium Battery Guidance Document, FAQ D.05, retrieved September 2026, credibility: High).
Standalone — batteries shipped alone, no equipment in the package.
Packed with equipment — battery and device in the same outer packaging, battery not installed.
Contained in equipment — battery installed inside the device.
The four-way decision table
Chemistry | Shipped alone | Packed with equipment | Contained in equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
Lithium-ion (rechargeable, incl. Li-polymer) | UN 3480 — Lithium ion batteries (air: PI 965) | UN 3481 — Lithium ion batteries packed with equipment (air: PI 966) | UN 3481 — Lithium ion batteries contained in equipment (air: PI 967) |
Lithium metal (generally non-rechargeable) | UN 3090 — Lithium metal batteries (air: PI 968) | UN 3091 — Lithium metal batteries packed with equipment (air: PI 969) | UN 3091 — Lithium metal batteries contained in equipment (air: PI 970) |
By sea, all four entries ship under the IMDG Code with packing instruction P903; the UN-number logic is identical. "Packed with" and "contained in" are separate proper shipping names — writing a generic "UN 3481 lithium ion batteries" on a declaration is a mis-declaration (IMDG Code 42-24, Chapter 3.2; SP 390).
UN 3480 vs UN 3481: what actually changes
The UN number changes the packing instruction, the aircraft eligibility, the state of charge, and the labels — under the 2026 IATA DGR (67th Edition):
UN 3480 (standalone, PI 965) | UN 3481 (packed with, PI 966 / contained in, PI 967) | |
|---|---|---|
Passenger aircraft | Forbidden as cargo (exception: SP A201 approvals) | Allowed — 5 kg of batteries per package (Section I / Section II) |
State of charge | ≤ 30% SoC mandatory (SP A331 for exceptions) | From 1 Jan 2026: ≤ 30% SoC mandatory when packed with equipment (PI 966); for contained-in (PI 967) ≤ 30% (or ≤ 25% indicated capacity) is recommended, not mandatory |
Cargo Aircraft Only label | Required (Section IA/IB) | Not required for small batteries; Section I above thresholds follows fully regulated rules |
Max per package — cargo aircraft | 35 kg (Section IA) / 10 kg (Section IB) | 35 kg (Section I) / 5 kg (Section II) |
Small-battery path | Section IB (cells ≤ 20 Wh, batteries ≤ 100 Wh) — Section II of PI 965 was removed in 2022 | Section II (cells ≤ 20 Wh, batteries ≤ 100 Wh) — still available |
The 2026 change most forwarders have not absorbed: from 1 January 2026, lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment must be offered for air transport at a state of charge not exceeding 30% of rated capacity — Section I of PI 966 outright, and Section II for anything above 2.7 Wh (IATA Lithium Battery Guidance Document, revised for the 2026 regulations, citing the 2025–2026 ICAO Technical Instructions and SP A331; retrieved September 2026, credibility: High). Standalone UN 3480 has carried the 30% limit for years; extending it to packed-with consignments is new.
What does not change: watt-hour rating never changes the UN number — a 150 Wh laptop battery alone is still UN 3480; the Wh rating only switches the section (IA vs IB, Section I vs II). Labels and marks follow the section: fully regulated shipments carry the Class 9 label (model 9A), small ones the lithium battery mark — sizes and specs are in our lithium battery shipping labels guide.
UN 3090 vs UN 3091: the lithium-metal mirror
Lithium metal batteries copy the lithium-ion structure exactly, with the threshold measured in grams of lithium instead of watt-hours (IATA DGR 67th Edition; IMDG SP 188):
UN 3090 (standalone, PI 968) — forbidden as cargo on passenger aircraft (SP A201 exception path); cargo aircraft only, 35 kg per package in Section IA, 2.5 kg in Section IB (cells ≤ 1 g, batteries ≤ 2 g lithium). Section II of PI 968 was removed in 2022, so there is no light path for standalone lithium metal by air.
UN 3091 (PI 969 packed with / PI 970 contained in) — Section I 5 kg passenger / 35 kg cargo; Section II 5 kg (cells ≤ 1 g, batteries ≤ 2 g), lithium battery mark.
A mixed lithium-ion + lithium-metal consignment must show hazard communication for both chemistries (US 49 CFR 172.102 SP 181).
Six classification traps that strand shipments
Power banks are UN 3480, not UN 3481. A power bank primarily powers another device, so IATA classifies it as a battery, not equipment — even though it ships in its own housing (IATA Lithium Battery Guidance Document, definitions, credibility: High).
A charger is not "equipment". Batteries packed with only an AC adaptor, cables, or a charger carton are UN 3480 — equipment means the apparatus the battery powers (IATA FAQ D.05, credibility: High).
Earbuds with their charging case are UN 3481 packed with equipment (PI 966). The charging case shipped alone flips back to UN 3480 (IATA FAQ D.04, credibility: High).
Device with installed battery + spare pack in the same box → declare UN 3481 packed with equipment (IMDG SP 390; the same reading under US rules, SP 181).
Watt-hours switch sections, not numbers. Crossing 20 Wh per cell / 100 Wh per battery (li-ion) or 1 g / 2 g (li-metal) moves you from Section II/IB to fully regulated — different marks, documents, and package limits, same UN number.
Vehicles and sodium-ion are different numbers entirely. By sea, battery-powered vehicles now use UN 3556/3557/3558 under IMDG 42-24 (SP 360) — UN 3171 is no longer accepted for lithium/sodium-ion vehicles; batteries installed in a cargo transport unit are UN 3536; sodium-ion batteries use UN 3551/3552. None of them belong in the four lithium numbers this page covers.
Air vs sea: same UN numbers, different rulebook
Air (2026 IATA DGR 67th Ed.) | Sea (IMDG Code 42-24) | |
|---|---|---|
Packing instruction | PI 965–970, sectioned by size | P903 for all four entries |
Passenger-aircraft ban | UN 3480 / UN 3090 forbidden as cargo | No equivalent — vessels carry all four |
State of charge | ≤ 30% standalone; ≤ 30% packed-with from 2026 | Not regulated by SoC |
Small-battery relief | Section II (966/967/969/970) | SP 188 — same 20 Wh/100 Wh and 1 g/2 g thresholds |
Package cap in the relief | 5 kg batteries per package | 30 kg gross per package, standalone only (SP 188.8) — no gross-mass cap when installed in or packed with equipment |
A configuration refused at the airport is often workable in a container — but "easier" is not "unregulated": the IMDG declaration, P903 packing, and lithium battery mark still apply. The document set behind either mode is the same starting point: UN 38.3 test summary, SDS, and packing details — see the battery documents to review before asking for an air rate and our DG declaration walkthrough for China ports.
FAQ
What is the difference between UN 3480 and UN 3481?
UN 3480 is a lithium-ion battery shipped alone; UN 3481 is a lithium-ion battery packed with or contained in equipment. UN 3480 is cargo-aircraft-only, capped at 30% state of charge; UN 3481 can fly on passenger aircraft within 5 kg per package, and from 1 January 2026 must also be at ≤ 30% SoC when packed with equipment (IATA DGR 67th Edition).
Is a power bank UN 3480 or UN 3481?
UN 3480 (or UN 3090 for lithium metal). Power banks are classified as batteries — they primarily power another device — not as batteries contained in equipment (IATA Lithium Battery Guidance Document).
Can UN 3480 or UN 3090 ship on passenger aircraft?
No — both are forbidden as cargo on passenger aircraft under the 2026 IATA DGR, except under SP A201 state approvals or urgent-medical exemptions. They fly cargo-aircraft-only with the CAO label.
Do the watt-hours change the UN number?
No. The rating only selects the section: cells ≤ 20 Wh / batteries ≤ 100 Wh (lithium-ion) or ≤ 1 g / ≤ 2 g lithium (lithium metal) qualify for the lighter Section II or IB provisions; above that, the shipment is fully regulated.
What is the 30% state-of-charge rule?
Standalone lithium-ion batteries (UN 3480) must ship at or below 30% of rated capacity — higher SoC needs State approvals under SP A331. From 1 January 2026 the same limit applies to lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment (PI 966); for batteries contained in equipment it remains a recommendation (30%, or 25% indicated capacity).
Are the UN numbers different for sea freight?
No — the same four numbers apply under the IMDG Code, packed under P903 with the SP 188 relief for small batteries. The differences are operational: no passenger-aircraft ban, no SoC rule, a 30 kg gross cap that applies only to standalone batteries.
What UN number is a device with a built-in battery?
The battery inside makes it UN 3481 (lithium-ion) or UN 3091 (lithium metal) "contained in equipment" — PI 967/970 by air. Add a spare battery in the same box and the declaration becomes "packed with equipment".
Sources
All sources retrieved September 2026.
IATA — Lithium Battery Guidance Document, revised for the 2026 regulations (DGR 67th Edition / 2025–2026 ICAO Technical Instructions) — High (official industry guidance; classification, PI 965–970 flowcharts, SoC rules, FAQ D.02–D.06).
US DOT PHMSA — Lithium Battery Guide for Shippers (2024) — High (US regulation alignment; 49 CFR 173.185, 172.102 SP 181).
Britannia P&I — IMDG Code Amendment 42-24 summary (Dec 2025) — Medium-High (P&I club; 42-24 mandatory 1 Jan 2026; UN 3551/3552/3556–3558).
Kuehne+Nagel — IMDG Code Amendment 42-24 mandatory from 1 January 2026 — Medium-High (carrier advisory on transition dates).
Maersk — IMDG Code 42-24 battery vehicle regulatory changes (Jan 2026) — Medium (carrier confirmation: UN 3171 closed for lithium/sodium-ion vehicles).
Hazcheck (Will Bartle) — IMDG Code A42-24 detailed change summary — Medium-High (industry compliance tool vendor; P903 scope, 5.2.1.10 marking).
Shashi Kallada — UN 3480 vs UN 3481: 20 questions under IMDG 42-24 (June 2026) — Medium (IMDG specialist; SP 188.8 30 kg scope, SP 390).
Not sure which number your carton is? Get a battery shipping quote — send the chemistry, watt-hours or lithium content, and how the battery sits relative to the device, and we will confirm the UN number, section, and labels before anything is booked.