Dangerous Goods

DHL Express has significant experience in carrying approved Dangerous Goods. Learn more about conditions and regulations to ensure your shipments are fully compliant.

Shipping Dangerous Goods

DHL is an established carrier of Dangerous Goods and as a leading transportation and logistics company, DHL Express adheres to the following regulations:

• IATA for air transport, applicable within all countries which work under the ICAO regulations and any airline under the IATA regulations
• ADR for road transport, applicable within all countries that have adopted the ADR convention in their legislation and additionally within Europe, the EU directives concerning the transport of Dangerous Goods.

If you are unsure about which regulations apply to you, please contact Customer Service and ask to speak to the Restricted Commodities Group.

Conditions to ship

1. Prohibited substances: Dangerous Goods waste, Munitions of War
2. Acceptable by: Type of Product and Service used DHL network affected: country / local restrictions and operator restrictions
3. Customer approval: Only Dangerous Goods from an approved customer will be accepted.
4. Dangerous Goods shipments must be prepared in accordance with the relevant Dangerous Goods Regulations: Correctly packed, marked and labelled. Required documents completed: A Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods, if applicable, must be signed by the shipper only and accompany the shipment. All State and Operator Variations must be complied with
5. Traffic approval: Only Dangerous Goods shipments which have been booked and approved will be accepted.

Dangerous Goods charges

Dangerous Goods shipments are always subject to additional charges.

Important facts and information

Transportation of Dangerous Goods is a risk when they are not correctly packed or handled. If the goods are hidden, declared incorrectly, left completely undeclared, packed or labelled incorrectly, health and safety is compromised.

Did you know that food flavouring, perfumes, chemicals and electronic equipment can be classed as Dangerous Goods?

If you are thinking of sending such commodities, be it for personal or commercial use; please check first with the Restricted Commodities Group at DHL Express. If in doubt, refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet from the manufacturer to determine if the product can indeed be forwarded as regular cargo. In this case DHL Express requires shippers to declare the shipment as “Not Restricted” or “not restricted as per special provision A…” on the waybill and/or invoice.

Contact the DHL Restricted Commodities Group

If you would like to ship via DHL, it is essential that you contact the DHL Restricted Commodities Group. With a wide experience of transporting all types of Dangerous Goods, DHL is perfectly placed to offer you professional advice.

Summary of Shipper’s Responsibility

The shipper is responsible for declaring, packaging and labelling Dangerous Goods. DHL Express will accept Dangerous Goods but with certain restrictions for the different products and services offered and only under certain conditions.

Avoid the risk of harm to others and avoid fines from authorities by ensuring your shipment does not contain any hazardous material. Some items may be considered as dangerous when they are not (i.e. chemicals), so you can avoid your shipment being delayed or stopped by adding the words “Not Restricted” to your documentation, when this applies.