New IMDG Regulation: Mandatory Dangerous Goods Declaration for Charcoal
With the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code amendment 42-24, charcoal must always be declared as Dangerous Goods, classified as UN1361 CARBON, animal or vegetable origin, Class 4.2.
As previously communicated, the amendment follows a phased implementation, with mandatory global application effective from January 1, 2026. In preparation for this, Hapag-Lloyd introduced the new regulation already from April 1, 2025, requiring full Dangerous Goods compliance for all charcoal shipments.
The updated regulation introduces Special Provision 978 and includes:
- Materials must be weathered for at least 14 days after production or packed under inert gas after pyrolysis, followed by a 24-hour storage period.
- Materials must only be packed if their temperature does not exceed 40°C on the day of packing.
- Containerized transports in bulk without any packaging are not allowed.
- Cargo transport units must have a minimum 30 cm headspace.
- Shipments with Charcoal must be loaded into UN-approved and certified packaging and the requirements for marking, labelling and placarding of packages and containers apply.
- Dangerous Goods Declaration must contain the following information:
- Date of production
- Date of packing into packagings
- Temperature of the material on the day of packing into packaging
To enhance safety, the new regulation was already introduced from April 1, 2025.
With the global introduction of the new regulation, Hapag-Lloyd will re-introduce the Dangerous Goods Premium (DGP) surcharge with the amount of USD 250 / EUR 210 per container. Other DG related surcharges might be applied.
If you require additional information, please contact our teams at your nearest location, who will guide you based on your individual situation.