A solar street light looks like a lighting product on the invoice and behaves like a battery shipment at the port. That gap is where containers get held, bookings get cancelled and demurrage starts running — not because anyone did something illegal, but because the paperwork described a lamp while the cargo contained Class 9 dangerous goods.
This guide covers what an importer actually needs to know before booking a shipment of solar street lights with lithium batteries: which UN number applies to which packing method, why lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) packs are not exempt from dangerous goods rules, the document set a manufacturer must hand over, and the line where the factory’s responsibility ends and yours begins.
Start With the Packing Method, Not the Product Name
The UN number is decided by how the battery travels, not by what the product is called. A lamp with a battery sealed inside the housing and a carton of spare battery packs are two different shipments under transport regulations, even when both leave the same factory on the same day.
| Packing method | UN number | Typical case in solar lighting |
|---|---|---|
| Battery shipped on its own | UN3480 (Class 9) | Spare or replacement LiFePO4 packs, batteries ordered separately for a project phase 2 |
| Battery packed with equipment | UN3481 (Class 9) | Battery in its own inner packaging, in the same outer carton as the luminaire |
| Battery contained in equipment | UN3481 (Class 9) | Battery installed inside the lamp head at the factory — the normal configuration for all-in-one and split solar street lights |
| Lithium metal battery | UN3090 (Class 9) | Not used in solar street lights; listed here only so you can recognise it on a declaration that does not match your product |
Two consequences follow. First, the UN number on your booking must match the packing method on the packing list — if the battery is installed in the head, declaring UN3480 is as wrong as declaring nothing. Second, a mixed shipment is possible but must be documented as such: installed batteries and loose spare packs in one container need both entries on the declaration, with quantities per UN number.
LiFePO4 Is Still Lithium-Ion Under Transport Rules
The most common and most expensive misunderstanding among first-time importers is that LiFePO4 is a “safe” chemistry and therefore not regulated. LiFePO4 has a lower thermal runaway risk than nickel-rich chemistries, and that is a genuine advantage in hot climates — but under the UN Model Regulations it is a lithium-ion battery. It carries the same Class 9 classification, the same UN38.3 test requirement and the same UN3480 or UN3481 entry as any other lithium-ion pack.
What changes the paperwork is energy content, not chemistry. Lithium-ion cells and batteries below the small-battery thresholds — 20 Wh per cell and 100 Wh per battery — can move under the reduced provisions (Special Provision 188 in the IMDG Code for sea transport), which means lighter packaging and the lithium battery mark instead of a full Class 9 declaration. Above those thresholds, the full dangerous goods regime applies.
That threshold is where solar street lights land. Energy content is nominal voltage multiplied by capacity, so a 12.8 V LiFePO4 pack rated at 15 Ah carries 192 Wh; 20 Ah carries 256 Wh; 25 Ah carries 320 Wh. Published configurations on our A21 all-in-one solar street light run from 15 Ah to 25 Ah, and the larger models in the A01 split solar street light range sit in the same band. In practice almost every full-size solar street light battery is above 100 Wh, so plan for full dangerous goods handling rather than hoping for the exception.
| Battery capacity (12.8 V LiFePO4) | Energy content | Transport position |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Ah | about 90 Wh | Below 100 Wh — reduced provisions may apply |
| 15 Ah | 192 Wh | Above 100 Wh — full Class 9 handling |
| 20 Ah | 256 Wh | Above 100 Wh — full Class 9 handling |
| 25 Ah | 320 Wh | Above 100 Wh — full Class 9 handling |
| 40 Ah | 512 Wh | Above 100 Wh — full Class 9 handling, larger packaging |
Confirm the figure with your supplier rather than estimating it. The number that matters is the rated watt-hour value on the battery label, calculated from the nominal voltage the pack is built to — not the nominal 3.2 V of a single LiFePO4 cell.
UN38.3 and IEC 62133 Prove Two Different Things
Buyers often ask for “the UN38.3 certificate” and stop there. The two standards that come up in a battery conversation answer different questions, and a complete order file usually needs both.
| Standard | What it covers | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| UN38.3 (UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III, subsection 38.3) | Transport safety of the cell and battery type: altitude simulation, thermal cycling, vibration, shock, external short circuit, impact or crush, overcharge and forced discharge — tests T1 to T8 | Nothing about service life, cycle count, capacity retention or how the battery behaves inside a specific luminaire over five years |
| IEC 62133-2 | Safety of lithium-ion cells and batteries in intended use: electrical, mechanical and thermal abuse at cell and pack level | Nothing about transport classification, packing instructions or shipping documents |
| UN38.3 test summary | The one-page evidence document: the eight tests, the cell and battery types tested, and the pass result for each | Nothing about a different cell, a different capacity or a different factory — the summary is valid for the type tested, not for the product family |
Read the test summary against the battery actually going into your order. A summary issued for a 12 Ah pack does not cover a 25 Ah pack built with different cells, even if the model code on the invoice looks similar. This is the single most common documentation gap we see when a buyer switches capacity mid-project.
The Document Set a Factory Should Hand You
Before a forwarder will accept a booking, they need a complete file. Ask for all of it at the quotation stage — a supplier that can only produce it after the deposit is telling you something about how often they ship batteries.
| Document | Issued by | What the forwarder or carrier does with it |
|---|---|---|
| UN38.3 test summary for the exact cell and pack type | Battery cell maker, or the pack assembler using tested cells | Confirms the battery type is transport-tested; usually required at booking and kept on file by the carrier |
| Safety data sheet (MSDS/SDS) for the battery | Factory or cell supplier | Feeds the carrier’s DG assessment and the terminal’s acceptance check |
| Dangerous goods packaging certificate | Issued in China after the packaging is tested and its use for the specific goods is verified | Proves the outer packaging is UN specification packaging suitable for Class 9 cargo |
| Shipper’s declaration for dangerous goods | The shipper of record, using the factory’s data | The legal declaration to the carrier: UN number, class, packing group, quantity, packing instruction |
| Class 9 label and lithium battery mark | Applied by the factory before the carton is closed | Terminal and vessel acceptance; a missing or wrong label stops the container at receiving |
| Commercial invoice and packing list | Factory | Must state the UN number and battery quantity — customs and the line compare these against the declaration |
Booking Sea Freight Under the IMDG Code
Sea is how most solar street lights move, and the IMDG Code governs it. Four things change compared with a normal booking:
- The booking must be declared as dangerous goods. Carriers allocate Class 9 cargo against a separate approval and a limited number of slots per vessel. Undeclared batteries found at the terminal are offloaded, and the shipper carries the cost and the liability.
- Not every routing accepts Class 9. Some transshipment hubs and terminals restrict lithium batteries, which can remove the cheapest or fastest schedule from your options. Ask the forwarder for a routing that is confirmed DG-acceptable, not one that is merely available.
- Packaging must be UN specification packaging. That means tested outer packaging, inner packaging that prevents movement and terminal contact, and the drop and stack tests behind the packaging certificate. Reused or unmarked cartons will be rejected.
- State of charge matters. Air transport requires lithium-ion cells and batteries at no more than 30% state of charge. The IMDG Code does not set the same limit for sea, but many carriers request it as a booking condition for lithium cargo — confirm the requirement with your line before production packing starts.
Expect the DG process to add days before the container is loaded: carrier approval, DG documentation review and terminal acceptance all sit on the critical path. Production lead time and shipping lead time are two separate clocks, and a 15-day production window does not include the DG booking.
Where the Factory’s Responsibility Ends
This is the part of the conversation that prevents most disputes later. A manufacturer controls what leaves the factory; the importer of record controls what happens at destination. Neither side can do the other’s job, and a supplier who promises to “handle everything” is usually promising something they cannot legally deliver.
| Responsibility | Factory / shipper | Importer of record |
|---|---|---|
| Battery test documentation | Supplies UN38.3 test summary and MSDS for the exact cell and pack type | Verifies the documents match the ordered capacity before the deposit |
| Packaging and marks | Uses certified UN specification packaging, applies Class 9 labels and lithium battery marks, packs to the packing instruction | Checks labels and carton condition on arrival; photographs any damage before devanning |
| Shipping declaration | Provides accurate UN number, class, quantity and watt-hour data for the declaration | Confirms the declaration matches the invoice and the actual cargo |
| Port and terminal acceptance | Books DG space through the forwarder and delivers documents on time | Confirms the destination terminal accepts Class 9 before the vessel sails |
| Customs clearance | Issues invoice, packing list and certificates of origin as required | Files the entry, holds any import permit the destination requires for batteries |
| Inland transport after arrival | Not involved once cargo is delivered per the agreed Incoterm | Holds the local dangerous goods transport licence and uses a carrier permitted to move Class 9 |
| Storage and installation | Provides handling guidance for the pack | Stores packs away from heat, charges before installation per the manual |
Two clauses belong in the purchase order because they decide who pays when something goes wrong: the Incoterm, which sets where risk transfers, and a named shipper of record, which decides who signs the dangerous goods declaration. If the factory books the freight, the factory is normally the shipper; if you book it on your own forwarder account, you may be.
Five Mistakes That Stop a Container
- Declaring the cargo as general goods. The most expensive mistake on this list, because it converts a documentation problem into a safety incident and a penalty.
- Assuming LiFePO4 needs no declaration. Lower risk chemistry, same Class 9 entry, same documents.
- Shipping spare packs as loose cartons. Loose batteries are UN3480 and need their own packaging, labels and declaration line — they are not covered by the declaration made for the installed batteries.
- Using a test summary for the wrong capacity. A summary is tied to the type tested; capacity changes usually mean new cells and a new summary.
- Leaving the DG booking to the last week. Carrier approval and terminal acceptance do not compress to fit a production delay.
What to Put in the Purchase Order
- UN number per packing method, stated on the invoice and packing list.
- Battery chemistry, nominal voltage, capacity in Ah and rated energy in Wh, per model.
- Confirmation that the UN38.3 test summary covers the exact pack shipped, with the document attached to the proforma invoice.
- Packing instruction applied, and who supplies the UN specification packaging.
- State of charge at packing, if your carrier requires a limit.
- Incoterm, named shipper of record, and who arranges the DG booking.
- Documents to travel with the shipment: test summary, MSDS, packaging certificate, declaration, Class 9 labels.
For projects where the battery decision is still open, our comparison of LiFePO4 and lead-acid batteries in tropical climates covers the operating side of the same question. And if you are still qualifying suppliers, the factory audit checklist includes the documentation checks that predict whether shipping paperwork will be clean.
How Qichenshop Handles Battery Documentation
Qichenshop is the export brand of Jiangmen Qichen Lighting, a solar and LED lighting manufacturer in Guangdong, China. The company has manufactured solar-powered street lights since 2010 and was first registered as Zhongshan Qichen in 2013. The range covers 28 models, with LiFePO4 batteries and IP65-rated luminaires across the all-in-one and split lines.
For every battery shipment we issue the UN38.3 test summary for the cell and pack type used, the MSDS, and the dangerous goods packaging certificate for the outer carton, and we declare the shipment with the UN number that matches how the battery is packed. We do not handle destination customs clearance or local dangerous goods transport — those sit with the importer of record, and we will tell you what documents your broker will ask for. If a certificate status for a specific model needs confirming, ask before you book rather than after: we would rather quote you accurately than promise a document we cannot issue on your schedule.
OEM orders start from a minimum of 50 units. Typical production lead time is 15 days after deposit, with payment by T/T at 30% deposit and 70% against shipping documents; the dangerous goods booking runs on top of that and is quoted with the freight.
Send us your model list, quantity and destination port, and we will return a shipping quote that includes the battery documentation package and the DG surcharge — or, if you are still comparing specifications, request the UN38.3 test summary for the capacity you are considering. Contact Qichenshop with your model codes, or browse the full product catalogue.
