Can I ship lithium batteries and power banks?

What it usually is

Usually class 9 (UN 3480/3481 lithium ion, UN 3090/3091 lithium metal). A power bank is a battery on its own (UN 3480), not equipment.

UN numbers: UN 3480 UN 3481 UN 3090 UN 3091

By road (ADR)

By road (ADR), small cells and batteries below the watt-hour limits of special provision 188 can travel without full ADR rules if they are packed as that provision requires. Larger batteries ship as class 9 with labels and documents.

By air (IATA)

By air (ICAO TI / IATA DGR packing instructions 965–970), rules are stricter: lithium ion batteries shipped on their own (UN 3480) are cargo-aircraft only and must be at no more than 30% state of charge. Since 1 January 2026, larger lithium ion batteries packed with equipment (UN 3481) must also be at no more than 30% state of charge, and 30% is recommended for batteries inside equipment. Each of these has its own quantity limits.

Three questions your forwarder will ask

1. What is the watt-hour rating (or lithium content for lithium metal)?
2. Do you have the UN 38.3 test summary?
3. Are the batteries shipped alone, packed with equipment, or installed in it?

Limits depend on battery size, quantity per package and the packing instruction. Send the SDS and battery data and we will check the exact case.