Dangerous goods
IMDG hazard classes
The IMDG Code governs dangerous goods at sea. Every DG shipment needs a UN number, proper shipping name, class, and packing group — declared before booking, not at the port gate. Class 9 catches more everyday cargo than shippers expect: lithium batteries and vehicles with fuel in the tank both count.
Explosives
Fireworks, ammunition, blasting agents
Gases
LPG, oxygen cylinders, aerosols, refrigerant gas
Flammable liquids
Petrol, ethanol, paints, adhesives, perfumery
Flammable solids
Matches, sulphur, charcoal, self-reactive substances
Oxidisers & organic peroxides
Ammonium nitrate fertiliser, pool chlorine, hydrogen peroxide
Toxic & infectious substances
Pesticides, cyanides, clinical waste, lab specimens
Radioactive material
Medical isotopes, industrial gauges, uranium ores
Corrosives
Sulphuric acid, caustic soda, wet-cell batteries
Miscellaneous
Lithium batteries, dry ice, vehicles with fuel, magnetised material
What your forwarder will ask for
The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS), the UN number and packing group, and a signed Dangerous Goods Declaration. Expect a DG surcharge, longer booking lead times, and some carriers refusing certain classes on certain lanes entirely. Undeclared DG is the fastest way to fines, rolled bookings, and a blacklisted shipper account — declare it and let a forwarder who handles hazmat quote it properly.