Shipping With Hazardous Materials

Shipping items prohibited by contract with UPS

Certain items that we designate as prohibited will be accepted by UPS on a contractual basis for shippers with regular volume and the ability to comply with all applicable regulations.

The items that we can transport under certain criteria are:

Alcoholic drinks
Animal products, not domesticated (eg, mother-of-pearl inlays, snakeskin watch straps)
High/Unusual Value Items
Biological substances, Category B, and exempt human or animal samples
Skins
Gold or other precious metals
Live animals
Perishables
Personal effects
Floors
Seeds
Tobacco
Not all merchandise can be shipped to all countries.

For more information, contact your nearest UPS office or call the Service Center 800-7433-877.
No merchandise shall be transported that is prohibited by any applicable local, state, or national law or regulation, or that may violate any law or endanger the safety of UPS employees, agents, or subcontractors or the conveyances; or that, in the Carrier's opinion, may stain, deteriorate or damage in any way other merchandise or equipment, or whose transportation is not economically or operationally viable. Hazardous items and materials will not be accepted for transportation, including hazardous materials regulated as such in terms of law, including for such purposes the provisions of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) or the Title 49 of the North American Code of Federal Regulations. For a list of all prohibited items, you should contact your local UPS office. In addition to the goods described above, any of the prohibited items listed on the UPS website (www.ups.com) will not be transported.

UPS accepts hazardous materials in air service level packages prepared in accordance with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR). In order to ship air service level packages prepared under the IATA DGR, shippers must follow the limitations for the use of the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air. The IATA DGR is the aviation industry’s user-friendly version of the ICAO Technical Instructions.In any case, failure to comply with applicable IATA regulations may result in enforcement action by appropriate authorities.

Examples of articles prohibited by UPS include:

• Bank bills, notes or currency (other than coin)
• Fireworks
• Fully regulated dangerous goods (except as expressly provided in the “UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service – Mexico”)
• Hazardous waste or hazardous waste service
• Human and animal corpses, cremated or disinterred remains
• Shipments prohibited by law
• Ivory
• Marijuana, including marijuana intended for medicinal use
• Postage stamps
• Shark fins
• Vape products.

if you have any questions about shipping hazardous materials with UPS, please call the UPS Hazardous Materials Support Center at 1-800-7433-877.

All hazardous materials shippers must process their shipments using a UPS compliant shipping solution in conjunction with hazardous materials shipment preparation software. You may utilize the current version of UPS provided WorldShip purchase approved third-party software or use a comparable system which will provide UPS with the necessary computer generated documentation ( DG Declarations for IATA prepared packages) and electronic information.

In addition, all hazardous materials customers must be in compliance with the current UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions.

Effective January 1, 2016, shipments of UN 3171, Battery-powered vehicle, will only be accepted under the following conditions:

• Passenger aircraft quantities only, not accepted as CAO
• Shipment is limited to a maximum gross weight of 30kg
• Vehicle containing lithium battery or batteries therein that would separately be classified as UN 3480 or UN 3090. The battery contained in the vehicle is limited to 5kg maximum net weight.
• For shipments of UN3171 powered by lithium batteries, UPS requires the additional marking, "Contains Lithium Batteries." The marking must meet the requirements as stated in 49 CFR 172.301(a)(1) and be near the proper shipping name. 
• Vehicle containing a wet, non-spillable battery or batteries therein that would separately be classified as UN 2800. The battery contained in the vehicle is limited to 25kg maximum net weight.

Shipments of UN3171, Battery-powered vehicle, containing defective or damaged batteries are not accepted by UPS.

Effective July 1, 2015, UPS will only accept for air transportation, UN3090 Lithium Metal Batteries or Cells from approved shippers.

Lithium Metal Battery Shipper Pre-Approval

For safety, UPS recommends that all combination packages of nitric acid include intermediate, non-reactive plastic or metal packagings between the inner container and outer packaging.

If you have any questions about shipping hazardous materials with UPS, please call the Materials Support Center at 1-800-7433-877.