How do I know if my cargo is dangerous goods?

How we work it out

1. We look up your product in the UN list of dangerous goods (revision 20, from 2017).
2. We apply the ship rule (IMDG Code 2024) or the plane rule (IATA 2026).
3. We add what Chile requires for the truck (DS 298) and the warehouse (DS 43).

Watch out for this

• Paying before you have the safety data sheet. Without it, nobody can confirm the class.
• Thinking a device with a battery has no rules. The lithium battery is class 9 anyway.
• Reaching the port without a truck or warehouse ready. At the STI terminal in San Antonio, the maximum is 7 days.

Questions

Is a power bank dangerous goods?

Yes. For transport it counts as a lithium battery (UN3480), class 9. It cannot go on a passenger plane, only on a cargo plane. And it must travel at 30% charge or less.

What is IMO cargo?

It is dangerous goods that travel by ship. It follows the rules of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Its code is called IMDG and sorts cargo into 9 classes. For example: gases, flammable liquids, corrosives and lithium batteries.

Can I ship perfume by air?

Yes, but as dangerous goods. Perfume with alcohol is a flammable liquid (UN1266, class 3). Plane limits depend on the packaging and the airline. It depends on your cargo. We can check it for you at no cost.

How do I ship magnets by air?

The magnetic field of the box must be measured. If it goes over the limit, it ships as UN2807, class 9, with a magnetized material label. By ship, magnets are not dangerous goods.

Can I store dangerous goods in my own warehouse?

It depends on the quantity and the class. Up to 600 kg or liters outside a warehouse, DS 43 sets simpler rules. Over 10 tons of flammables, the warehouse needs a health authorization. For other classes, over 30 tons.

What SICE does

SICE coordinates dangerous goods shipments and has experience with flammable gases and lighters. It has contacts at the few authorized warehouses in Chile. The classification is done by whoever sends the cargo (the shipper), not by SICE.

See also:

• IMO dangerous goods

Sources

• BCN: DS 57, safety data sheet and its section 14 (art. 272 and 288)
• BCN: DS 43, storage of hazardous substances
• BCN: DS 298, transport of dangerous goods on streets and roads
• ChileAtiende: authorization to use or sell imported hazardous chemicals
• Directemar: dangerous goods at the STI terminal in San Antonio (September 2, 2025)
• IMO: IMDG Code, 2024 edition, mandatory from January 1, 2026
• UN: Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Rev.20, Vol. I
• IATA: lithium battery guidance 2026
• IATA: addendum 1 to DGR 66 (magnets and airline rules)
• Britannia P&I: IMDG Code amendment 42-24 (UN3556 vehicles)
• Hapag-Lloyd: dangerous goods manual for Latin America
• CINS and P&I Clubs: guidelines for carrying calcium hypochlorite in containers (2018)

Updated on October 22, 2026