Effective November 15, 2012, the Postal Service™ revised Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, to indicate the new standards when mailing primary and secondary lithium cells or lithium batteries internationally, or to and from an Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) destinations.
Consistent with Postal Bulletin article published on May 3, 2012, titled, “Publication 52 Revisions: Lithium Battery — Update” (pages 35–39), we implemented new international standards that prohibited the mailing of lithium batteries and cells internationally and when sent to and from APO, FPO, or DPO locations. We also stated in that notice that we anticipated on January 1, 2013, customers would be able to mail specific quantities of lithium batteries internationally (including to and from an APO, FPO, or DPO location) when the batteries are properly installed in the personal electronic devices they are intended to operate. Through recent discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and as announced in final rule published in the Federal Register, we are pleased to announce that we implemented these changes effective November 15, 2012.
Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail
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3 Hazardous Materials
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34 Mailability by Hazard Class
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349 Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials (Hazard Class 9)
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349.21 Nonmailable Class 9 Materials
The following materials are prohibited:
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[Revise 349.21e to read as follows:]
e. For domestic and international mailings, primary (nonrechargeable) lithium batteries are prohibited via air transportation if the batteries are shipped without the equipment they operate (individual batteries). In addition, lithium batteries are prohibited in international mailings when they are mailed with the equipment they are intended to operate.
349.22 Mailable Class 9 Materials
[Revise the title to 349.221 to read as follows:]
349.221 Primary Lithium (Nonrechargeable) Cells and Batteries — Domestic
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[Revise the title to 349.222 to read as follows:]
349.222 Secondary Lithium-ion (Rechargeable) Cells and Batteries — Domestic
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6 International Mail
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62 Hazardous Materials: International Mail
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622 Mailable Hazardous Materials
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622.5 Lithium and Lithium-ion Cells and Batteries — General
[Revise 622.5 to read as follows:]
Only lithium batteries under 622.51 and 622.52 that are properly installed in the equipment they operate may be sent internationally or to and from an APO, FPO, or DPO location, if permitted by the international destination country or APO, FPO, or DPO location. Lithium batteries that are packed with the equipment or lithium batteries sent separately from equipment are prohibited. Damaged or recalled batteries are prohibited and may not be mailed internationally under any circumstances.
622.51 Primary Lithium (Non-Rechargeable) Cells and Batteries
Small consumer-type primary lithium cells or batteries (lithium metal or lithium alloy) like those used to power cameras and flashlights are mailable in a single shipment with the following restrictions:
a. The batteries must be installed in the equipment being shipped.
b. Each shipment may contain a maximum of four lithium cells or two lithium batteries.
c. The lithium content must not exceed 1 gram (g) per cell.
d. The total aggregate lithium content must not exceed 2 g per battery.
e. The batteries installed in the equipment must be protected from damage and short circuit.
f. The equipment must be equipped with an effective means of preventing it from being turned on or activated.
g. The equipment must be contained in a strong sealed package and cushioned to prevent movement or damage.
622.52 Secondary Lithium-ion (Rechargeable) Cells and Batteries
Small consumer-type lithium-ion cells and batteries like those used to power cell phones and laptop computers are mailable in a single shipment with the following restrictions:
a. The batteries must be installed in the equipment being shipped.
b. Each shipment may contain a maximum of four lithium-ion cells or two lithium-ion batteries.
c. The lithium content must not exceed 20 Watt-hour rating (Wh) per cell.
d. The total aggregate lithium content must not exceed 100 Wh per battery.
e. Each battery must bear the “Watt-hour” or “Wh” marking on the battery to determine if it is within the limits defined in items c and d.
f. The batteries installed in the equipment must be protected from damage and short circuit.
g. The equipment must be equipped with an effective means of preventing it from being turned on or activated.
h. The equipment must be contained in a strong sealed package and cushioned to prevent movement or damage.
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Appendix A Hazardous Materials Table:
Postal Service Mailability Guide
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[Revise the entries: “Lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment” and “Lithium metal batteries contained in equipment” to read as follows:]
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Appendix C USPS Packaging Instructions for Mailable Hazardous Materials
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USPS Packaging Instructions 9D
Lithium and Lithium-ion Cells and Batteries
[Revise the paragraph for “When mailed internationally” to read as follows:]
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n When mailed internationally or to and from APO, FPO, or DPO locations: Primary lithium (non-rechargeable) cells and batteries and secondary lithium-ion(rechargeable) cells and batteries are mailable in limited quantities internationally or to and from APO, FPO, or DPO locations via air or surface transportation only when they are properly installed in the equipment they operate.
Mailability
[Revise the paragraph for “International Mail” to read as follows:]
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n International Mail or to and from APO, FPO, and DPO locations: Primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries installed in the equipment they are intended to operate are mailable. Primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries not packed in equipment (i.e., batteries packed with equipment or individual batteries) are prohibited.
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Required Packaging
[Revise the title to delete “Domestic Mail Only” as follows:]
Primary (non-rechargeable) and Secondary (rechargeable) Lithium Batteries
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Markings
[Revise Markings in its entirety to read as follows:]
n Primary (non-rechargeable) properly installed in the equipment they are intended to operate:
n Mailable via air transportation or surface transportation domestically or internationally (including to and from APO, FPO, and DPO locations).
n No markings required provided the quantities are within the limits of 349.22 (for domestic items), or 622.5 (for international, APO, FPO, or DPO items).
n Primary (non-rechargeable) packed with the equipment they are intended to operate:
n Mailable via air and surface transportation domestically. Prohibited internationally or to and from APO, FPO, and DPO locations.
n The outside of the package must be marked on the address side “Package Contains Primary Lithium Batteries.”
n Primary (non-rechargeable) not packed with or installed in equipment (individual batteries):
n Mailable domestic via surface transportation only. Prohibited internationally or to and from APO, FPO, and DPO locations.
n The outside of the package must be marked on the address side “Surface Mail Only, Primary Lithium Batteries — Forbidden for Transportation Aboard Passenger Aircraft.”
n Secondary (rechargeable) properly installed in the equipment they are intended to operate:
n Mailable via air transportation or surface transportation domestically or internationally or to and from APO, FPO, and DPO locations.
n No markings required provided the quantities are within the limits of 349.22 (for domestic items), or 622.5 (for international, and APO, FPO, and DPO items).
n Secondary (rechargeable) packed with the equipment they are intended to operate:
n Mailable via air and surface transportation domestically. Prohibited internationally or to and from APO, FPO, and DPO locations.
n The outside of the package must be marked on the address side “Package Contains Lithium-ion Batteries (no lithium metal).”
n Secondary (rechargeable) not packed with or installed in equipment (individual batteries):
n Mailable domestic via surface transportation only. Prohibited internationally or to and from APO, FPO, and DPO locations.
n The outside of the package must be marked on the address side “Package Contains Lithium-ion Batteries (no lithium metal).”
Quantities
International — Primary (non-rechargeable) and Secondary (rechargeable) Lithium Batteries:
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[Revise Quantities for International — Primary (non-rechargeable) and Secondary (rechargeable) Lithium Batteries Markings in its entirety to read as follows:]
Installed in the equipment they are intended to operate:
n Each shipment may contain a maximum of four lithium cells or two lithium batteries.
n The lithium content must not exceed 1 gram (g) per cell.
n The total aggregate lithium content must not exceed 2 g per battery
International – Secondary Lithium-ion (Rechargeable) Cells and Batteries:
Installed in equipment:
n Each shipment may contain a maximum of four lithium-ion cells or two lithium-ion batteries.
n The lithium content must not exceed 20 Watt-hour rating (Wh) per cell.
n The total aggregate lithium content must not exceed 100 Wh per battery.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next update of the online Publication 52 available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Pricing, 12-13-12
