International Trade Blog

In 2014, a South Korean shipper incurred a $72,000 fine for non-compliant packaging and labeling on a shipment of paints and solvents. Around the same time, an Ohio-based distribution company failed to appropriately label packages and complete shipping paperwork for an air shipment of corrosive wood cleaner and paid $63,000 for its negligence.

Shipping dangerous goods is a complex and highly regulated process, and it can be difficult, for a variety of reasons, to get compliance buy-in from everyone in your company involved with the shipping process. However, as many businesses have discovered, non-compliance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) and DOT regulations is expensive.

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Shipping Solutions has a new video describing how to create the IATA and IMO Dangerous Goods (DG) documents using their export documentation and compliance software.

The video shows how to store your products' DG information in the Shipping Solutions database, how to create the documents on the EZ Start screen, and all the options for printing the documents.

The video transcript is shown below, and if you have any trouble viewing the video, you can watch it on our website support page or YouTube channel. Check out our other videos too!

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Hazmat compliance is not to be taken lightly. Compliance with the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) hazmat regulations really starts with the hazmat employer taking responsibility as an offer or of the articles or substances that are deemed classified as hazardous materials.

These materials must be offered for transport with a statement included in the shipping papers that certifies that a hazardous material shipment is in full compliance. Most bills of lading have wording similar to this incorporated in the fine print somewhere near the bottom of the page:

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When working with exporters across the United States providing dangerous goods onsite training, I’ve found many often have the same questions around the topic of hazmat shipping.

In this article I share answers to three of the most frequently asked questions. I think they’ll resonate with you, too.

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A large international company recently contacted me to review their entire shipping process and propose a solution for complete compliance with domestic and international hazmat regulations.

They were completely frustrated grappling with all the variations that applied to their products of fragrances and perfumes. Their problem was not only interpreting the domestic hazmat regulations, but also the differences that exist when shipping their products internationally.

As I wrote in a previous blog post, the hazmat regulations that apply to a company's domestic shipments don’t necessarily apply to international shipments.

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If your item is considered a dangerous good (DG) by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), you can prepare the proper documents for your shipment using Shipping Solutions export documentation software.

Prior blog posts discussed how to enter your DG information into the Shipping Solutions database and how to create the IATA Dangerous Goods form. Today I describe how to create the IMO Dangerous Goods form.

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Before you can ship dangerous goods, you need to properly complete the required transport documents: the air waybill and the Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods.

The main purpose of the Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) is for the shipper to provide critical information to the aircraft operator or carrier in a format that is consistent throughout the transportation industry. This standard is part of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).

Section 8 of the IATA DGR begins with the statement: “A Shipper’s Declaration must be completed by the shipper for each consignment of dangerous goods.”

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If your item is considered a Dangerous Good (DG) by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), you can prepare the proper documents for your air shipment using Shipping Solutions export documentation software.

In a previous blog post, I discussed how to enter your DG information into the Shipping Solutions software. Today I describe how to use that information to quickly and accurately create the IATA Dangerous Goods form—the Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods—for an air shipment.

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Depending on whether you ship domestically within the U.S. or you import and/or export and ship internationally, the regulations for shipping hazardous materials and dangerous goods have a variety of similarities and differences.

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If your item is considered a dangerous good (DG) by either the International Air Transport Association (IATA) or the International Maritime Organization (IMO), you can prepare the proper documents for your shipment using Shipping Solutions export documentation and compliance software.

With the release of Shipping Solutions Professional version 9.12 and Shipping Solutions Classic 8.12, we've made it easier and faster to create the IATA and IMO dangerous goods forms. (My previous blog post summarizes all the changes available in these updates.)

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