Prohibited and Dangerous Items

When sending a parcel, do you know that certain products are banned or regulated? To ensure that your parcels can be smoothly shipped to anywhere in the world , we would like to share with you the rules with when it comes to which goods can be shipped. Take the necessary precautions now to ensure that your parcels are not refused.
 
For safety reasons and because certain products are considered dangerous or present a serious risk when transported, there are restrictions which apply when sending your parcels to Europe or to the rest of the world. The main objective is to avoid any risk of damage to people, property or the environment.

There are several lists of prohibited or restricted goods when shipping a parcel depending on international regulations, country specific rules, or air travel.
 

Prohibited Items

Below is a list of prohibited or regulated goods and products. Before sending your parcels internationally or to Europe, please check that they comply with the conditions and do not present any danger.

These items identified in this guide as “ prohibited items” include but are not limited to:

  • Drugs, narcotics and psychotropic substances;

  • Objects covered by the penal code or penal stipulations against breaches of special laws;

  • Objects whose shape, form, nature or packaging is likely to be dangerous to persons or damaging or dirtying other mail items, bpost equipment or third party property;

  • Vegetation products

  • Live animals, parasites or animal products;

  • Coins, bank notes, currency notes or bearer securities, traveler’s cheques, securities and stocks, coupons, bank or credit cards, cheques;

  • Platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or otherwise, gems, fine or cultured pearls, jewelry or other precious objects, such as fur, art objects and collections, similar precious objects of sentimental value;

  • Software

  • Obscene or immoral objects

  • Objects, including writings or substance in general, that cannot be imported, exported, circulated, distributed, used or possessed by law

  • Weapons, essential parts of weapons and ammunition, imitation firearms, knives, swords, daggers and any other sharp or cutting object

  • Fresh non-food and non-auto-refrigerated products

  • Perishables

  • Foodstuffs

  • Counterfeit or pirated goods

  • Excise goods:   energy products (including petrol, kerosene, gas oil, LPG, natural gas, coal, coke, lignite and vegetable oil used as motor or heating fuel), tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, smoking tobacco, water pipe tobacco, e-cigarette refills)

  • Alcohol: alcohol (in any form), and alcoholic beverages (including beer, wine, fermented drinks other than beer or wine, intermediate products (including Porto, Sherry, Martini, Campari) and ethyl alcohol

    • Note: Alcohol import is prohibited in the following countries: USA, Canada, Sweden and all Muslim countries.

    • Happy-Post cannot be held responsible in the event of a dispute over parcels containing alcohol.
       

What are dangerous goods and prohibited items?

‘Dangerous goods’ are articles or substances capable of posing a hazard to safety, health, property or the environment and includes items of common use, such as aerosols, perfumes, and paints.

The transportation of dangerous goods is controlled and governed by a variety of different regulatory regimes, operating at national and international levels. Prominent regulatory frameworks for the transportation of dangerous goods include the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, the ICAO Technical Instructions, the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, the IMO International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code and the ADR Agreement (Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road). Collectively, these regulatory regimes mandate how dangerous goods must be classified, packed, marked, labelled, documented, and handled for transport.

Except as otherwise specified in this guide, Happy-Post does not accept any dangerous goods as defined in the above mentioned regulations or in any other national or international regulations related to the transport of dangerous goods. In addition to “dangerous goods”, Happy-Post does not accept other goods, although not classified as dangerous goods, which may pose a safety or security issue. 

Dangerous goods are divided into nine hazard classes that cannot be shipped. Some pictograms and examples:

  • Class 1: Explosive materials and objects: fireworks, firecrackers, ammunition, distress flares, airbag inflators, ammunition, gunpowder


 

  • Class 2: Gases

  1. Flammable gas: camping gas, butane gas, cigarette lighters , compressed hydrogen, sprays/aerosols Non-flammable, non-toxic gases: fire extinguishers, liquefied nitrogen diving cylinders, neon Toxic gases: carbon monoxide, ethylene oxide , chlorine
  2. Flammable liquids: lighters and their refills, oil paints, wood varnishes, solvent-based enamels, glues, perfumes and aftershaves, varnishes, solvents and nail gel
  3. Flammable solids: matches, charcoal


 

  • Class 3: Flammable liquids: Alcohols /alcoholic beverages (> 24%), benzene, cleaning compounds, gasoline, oil lighters, lighter fuels, paints/varnish, acetone solution, Nail varnish, thinners/solvents, adhesion bonds, flammable perfumes


 

  • Class 4: Flammable solids; spontaneously combustible substances; substances dangerous when wet: Matches, cellulose nitrate, magnesium powder, Phosphorus, sodium, calcium carbide


 

  • Class 5: Oxidizing materials: swimming pool chemicals, hydrogen peroxides, Bleaching powders, disinfectants, fertilizers, nitrates, hair Bleaching products, oxygen generator


 

  • Class 6: Toxic materials and infectious substances: pesticides, agricultural chemicals, mercury compounds, bacteria, viruses, Arsenic, pesticides/fungicides, rat poison, mercury compounds, blood samples for diagnosis, contaminated surgical blades and needles


 

  • Class 7: Radioactive materials: radioactive waste, radioactive sources, smoke detectors, used for medical diagnosis and treatment :  Cobalt-60, Iodine-125, Molybdenum-99


 

  • Class 8: Corrosive substances: liquid electrolyte accumulators, mercury, hydrochloric acid, wet batteries, corrosive cleaning liquids


 

  • Class 9: Diverse dangerous products: magnetized objects, carbon dioxide snow, lithium batteries and cells *

    • Lithium batteries and cells: separate or not installed batteries, computers, batteries, hoverboard etc.

    • Diverse dangerous products: magnetized objects, carbon dioxide snow, lithium batteries and cells




 

Exception 1: Lithium cells and batteries contained in equipment.

Limited quantities of lithium cells and lithium batteries in electronic devices sent in postal parcels may be accepted under certain conditions. Definitions What is the difference between a lithium cell and a lithium battery?
A lithium cell is a single encased electrochemical unit consisting of one positive and one negative electrode that exhibits a voltage differential across the two terminals. A lithium battery is one or more cells electrically connected. A single cell battery is considered to be a cell and not a battery.

Conditions for transport

Lithium cells and batteries can be accepted by Happy-Post under the following conditions:
  • Cells and batteries must always be installed (contained) in equipment. The equipment must be adequately packed to prevent accidental activation leading to heat, fire or short circuits during transport.
  • Limitations on cells and batteries:
    • Each package must contain no more than four cells or two batteries installed in equipment;
    • For Lithium ion cells and batteries, the Watt-hour rating must not exceed 20Wh per cell or 100Wh per battery;
    • For Lithium metal or Lithium alloy cells and batteries, the Lithium content must not exceed 1 gram for a cell and 2 grams for a battery;
    • Each cell and battery must be of a type proven to meet the requirements of each test in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III, section 38.3;
    • Cells or batteries that are defective for safety reasons, or that have been damaged are forbidden.
  •  Check destinations with Happy-Post: some destination countries might not accept equipment containing lithium batteries sent by the post. For example: currently Italy does not accept lithium Dangerous Goods & Prohibited Items Guide batteries.
Note: Some other types of batteries may be accepted for transport not packed in equipment. Examples: New alkali-manganese batteries l, nickel metal hydride (NiMh), nickel cadmium (NiCd) and Zinc-air batteries: (including D, C, 9V, AA, AAA and AAAA alkaline metal batteries) can be sent in their original unopened retail packaging, surrounded with cushioning material as for ex. bubble wrap.

Examples

Examples of electronic devices containing batteries which are in principle accepted.
Video camera, walkie talkies, GPS, radio-controlled toys, digital camera, scanner, mobile phone, MP3 player, Bluetooth headset, smart phone, laptop computer, shaver, power drill, tablet computer, portable DVD player, measuring equipment.

This is a representative list of common electronic equipment which is in compliance with the above-mentioned conditions.

Electronic devices containing batteries not accepted:

The following examples of equipment are not acceptable as the watt-hour rating of the lithium ion cells or batteries or the lithium content of the lithium metal cells and batteries exceed the limitations for acceptance or is not in compliance with another condition for acceptance by Happy-Post: Electric bicycle, laptop with external battery, electrical wheelchair, small in-house power generator, battery not installed in handset, automatic external defibrillator (AED), power banks .