3 December 2025

IMDG Code Amendment 42-24: What Changed for Dangerous Goods Shippers

Amendment 42-24 of the IMDG Code became mandatory on 1 January 2026. Here is what changed for shippers and what to check before your next DG booking.

Amendment 42-24 of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code has been mandatory since 1 January 2026. Shippers could apply it voluntarily from 1 January 2025. The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee adopted it in May 2024 through Resolution MSC.556(108). If you book dangerous goods (DG) by sea, your declaration, packaging and labels now have to follow this edition.

Most of the changes are narrow. They affect specific UN numbers, not the whole code. The problem is that carriers check bookings against the new edition, so an entry that was correct in 2025 can be rejected today.

Battery-powered vehicles have new UN numbers

This change affects the most shippers. Vehicles powered by lithium or sodium-ion batteries can no longer be declared under the generic UN 3171. They now need their own entries:

UN 3556 Vehicle, lithium ion battery powered
UN 3557 Vehicle, lithium metal battery powered
UN 3558 Vehicle, sodium ion battery powered

UN 3171 still exists, but it now covers vehicles and equipment with wet batteries, sodium batteries or sodium alloy batteries. Packing instruction P912 applies to the three new entries. A vehicle that can stand upright without support may travel unpackaged if the battery is protected from damage. A vehicle that could tip over needs a crate, pallet or bracing inside the container.

Maersk told customers in January 2026 that containers carrying these vehicles should be placarded on all four sides. It also said non-compliant shipments may be delayed or rejected.

Sodium-ion batteries are now in the code

The amendment adds Class 9 entries for sodium-ion batteries. The lithium battery mark now also applies to them. If you ship energy storage systems or consumer products with sodium-ion cells, confirm the correct entry with your forwarder before booking.

Charcoal and activated carbon

UN 1361 (carbon) and UN 1362 (carbon, activated) have new special provisions. Charcoal no longer escapes the rules just because it passes the UN N.4 self-heating test. The transport document must now show the production date, the packing date and the temperature at packing. Under special provision 978, the material should not be above 40 °C on the day it is packed. Charcoal is also no longer permitted in certain bags (5H1, 5L1 and 5M1) inside closed containers.

Reclassifications and stowage changes

A few substances moved:

UN 3423 (tetramethylammonium hydroxide, solid) moved from Class 8 to Class 6.1 with a Class 8 subsidiary hazard, packing group I. It can no longer go as a limited quantity.
UN 3129, UN 3130 and UN 3148 (some water-reactive substances) moved to stowage category D, which means on deck only. A new stowage code, SW31, requires stowage away from ignition sources.
Limited quantity values for UN 1006, UN 1013, UN 1046 and UN 1066 (some compressed gases) rose to 1,000 mL.
Small packages of UN 3077 and UN 3082 (environmentally hazardous substances) are exempt at 5 kg or 5 L or less.

Paperwork and container rules

Two changes affect everyone, not just the shippers of the substances above. Stowage plans must show both the primary and subsidiary hazard classes. Data loggers, sensors and tracking devices inside a container must be fixed securely and be safe for the dangerous goods carried with them.

Local port rules still apply on top

The IMDG Code is the base. Ports add their own rules. In Dubai, Trakhees (the EHS regulator of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation) issues circulars for specific cargo. Circular 01 of 2024 sets summer rules for lighters (UN 1057). Between 1 June and 30 September, import boxes are accepted for direct delivery only, export boxes must arrive on the day of export, and transshipment boxes must be in reefer containers. Check port circulars as well as the code, especially for summer shipments.

What to check before your next DG booking

Confirm the UN number and proper shipping name against Amendment 42-24, not an older SDS.
Ask your supplier for an SDS whose Section 14 matches the current entry.
For vehicles, use UN 3556, 3557 or 3558 and plan placards on all four sides.
For charcoal, record production date, packing date and packing temperature.
Check the stowage category, because "on deck only" cargo can limit which vessels will take it.
Ask whether the load or transshipment port has extra rules for your class.

This is a general guide. The current IMDG Code and the carrier's acceptance decide what can be loaded.

Planning a DG shipment under the new rules? Send your SDS, UN number, packaging details and route to ANIL DARYA through our freight rate inquiry or WhatsApp for a shipment-specific review. See also our dangerous goods shipping service.

Sources

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