Where to Apply for 2026 Air & Sea Transport Certificate?

The renewal of 2026 un38.3, air transport, sea transport, railway transport, road transport identification, msds and other reports has officially started. To avoid the peak period of application and renewal, all customers are kindly requested to plan the annual renewal of 2026 transport identification certificates in advance so as not to affect normal shipments.

Kind Reminder:

The validity period of the Air & Sea Transport Identification Certificate is 1 year per calendar year, and the expiration date of December 31 is approaching.

The Air & Sea Transport Identification Certificate expires on December 31 every year. Therefore, regardless of whether you applied in January or November, as long as you applied before December 31, you will need to re-apply for the Air & Sea Transport Identification Certificate after December 31.

What is a Transport Identification Report?

Transport Identification Report is the abbreviation of Cargo Transport Condition Identification Report or Cargo Transport Condition Identification Certificate.

When goods are transported by air, sea, road or railway, it is necessary to understand the transport hazards of the goods to ensure transport safety.

The Transport Identification Report identifies and provides advice on the transport safety of goods in accordance with domestic and foreign laws, regULations and standards on the transport of dangerous goods.

Core Regulation Update Reminder!

Starting from January 1, 2026, the following documents will be implemented in accordance with the new versions of regulations:

1. Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS): Must be updated in accordance with the GHS (11th Revised Edition) standard.

2. Sea Transport Identification Report: Will be based on the new regulations of IMDG Code (Edition 42-24).

3. Air Transport Identification Report: Will be based on the new regulations of IATA DGR (67th Edition, 2026).

RequiRED Documents for Identification Report Renewal

Key Operation Guidelines

1. Specify the identification year

From now on, when you submit an application for an identification report, you must clearly indicate the year for which the identification is to be issued (select "2025" or "2026").

Please note that the validity period of 2025 air transport, sea transport and road identification certificates expires on December 31, 2025.

Once the application is accepted, the applicable year of the identification certificate cannot be changed.

2. Arrange applications in advance

The 2026 identification certificate renewal service is about to enter the peak period.

The certification body will deliver reports in sequence according to the report type and the order of application receipt, and the expected processing cycle will be extended.

①　Starting from January 4, 2026 (official working day), the identification cycle may be adjusted according to business volume.

②　In principle, expedited services will not be provided for applications submitted after this date. Please arrange your time properly.

Report Renewal Process

①　Submit renewal application: Fill in the renewal application form for msds report, air / sea transport identification report, ensuring complete and accurate information.

②　Supplement product information: For lithium battery products, provide pictures of outer packaging, opened outer packaging and inner packaging that meet the requirements of the new regulations.

③　Send test samples: Samples must be marked with "2026 Report Renewal". Lithium battery samples must be packed and sent as specified.

④　Institutional review and testing: The certification body will review the submitted materials and test the samples in accordance with the 2026 new regulations.

⑤　Issue new reports: After passing the review and testing, the 2026 new version of identification reports (sea / air) and MSDS report will be issued.

Which Products Need a Transport Identification Report?

In accordance with certification regulations, the following products require a Transport Identification Report:

1. CheMICal products: Including ordinary chemicals, dangerous chemicals and new chemical products with undetermined hazards, such as corrosive liquids, flammable solvents, etc.

2. Powder goods: Such as metal powder, pharmaceutical powder, plant extract, pesticide powder, etc.

3. Lithium batteries and related products: Including power banks, mobile phone batteries, electric vehicle batteries, energy storage batteries, etc.

4. Products containing liquids, mercury instruments, compressed gas containers, radioactive equipment, etc.: Such as ice makers, thermometers, barometers, medical equipment, etc.

5. Perishables: Such as fresh food, requiring verification of temperature-controlled packaging and timeliness.

6. Magnetic products: Magnets, speakers, audio equipment.

Which Institutions Issue Transport Identification Reports?

Air & Sea Transport Identification Report

①　The validity period of the Sea Transport Identification Report is generally one calendar year, from the date of issue to December 31 of the same year.

For example, a sea transport identification report issued on January 10, 2025 is valid until December 31, 2025.

This is because the properties of some goods may change over time (e.g., some chemicals may deteriorate or decompose due to storage conditions, affecting their transport hazards).

Meanwhile, relevant sea transport regulations and standards are constantly revised and improved.

The one-year validity ensures that the identification report always complies with the latest regulatory standards and guarantees transport safety.

②　The validity period of the Air Transport Identification Report is also one calendar year.

This is because the rules on which air cargo transport condition assessments are based (such as the Dangerous Goods Regulations) are updated frequently.

Therefore, air transport identification reports need to be renewed annually to maintain validity and compliance.

MSDS Report

①　The MSDS report itself does not have a fixed validity period.

It is usually prepared by chemical manufacturers or importers in accordance with regulatory requirements to provide users with information on chemical hazards and safe use.

Therefore, its validity mainly depends on regulations and the duration of specific chemical hazards.

②　Generally, if there are no changes to the chemical or new safety information within five years, the MSDS report can be regarded as valid for five years.

However, if any changes occur to the chemical or new safety information is discovered, the MSDS report must be re-prepared.

In addition, if regulations or standards are revised, the MSDS report may need to be updated to meet new requirements.

UN38.3 Report

①　The UN38.3 report remains valid as long as regulations and products are not updated.

②　UN38.3 is an international standard for battery safety performance testing, ensuring the safety of battery products and compliance with relevant regulatory requirements.

③　However, the air transport identification certificate, sea transport identification certificate, MSDS report and other documents supporting the UN38.3 report are usually valid for one calendar year and need to be renewed annually.

Conclusion

As the year-end approaches, to ensure continuous compliance and validity of reports, enterprises should promptly renew these reports in accordance with relevant regulations.