Dangerous Goods Declaration (IMO) in shipping freight from the USA

IMO in Sea Freight

When shipping internationally from the United States, "Dangerous Goods" refers to any substance or material that could endanger health, safety, or property during transport. In the U.S. domestic ground transportation, these are called "Hazardous Materials" (HAZMAT). While the term HAZMAT is primarily used within the United States, in international cargo transportation, all hazardous materials become classified as Dangerous Goods.

A Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) is a document in cargo transportation that certifies that hazardous materials have been correctly classified, packaged, labeled, and declared to comply with International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards. The document is also known as the IMO.

If cargo contains such a regulated commodity, the shipper must provide an IMO draft before requesting a booking. There are no exceptions.

A draft of IMO is a standard form in which all details about HAZMAT are provided, but sailing details are blank.

A DGD must be accompanied by the Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS).

The information required to complete and submit a draft of the IMO and the MSDS should be available from the merchandise manufacturer. Otherwise, contact a company specializing in handling hazardous materials.

Here is a sample of the document used in international transportation from the United States. Click on the image below to zoom in.

When shipping DGD internationally, the exporter is responsible for providing an IMO and Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS).

The exporter is responsible for identifying whether their international ocean freight shipment contains HAZMAT.

Suppose a load for an intercontinental transmission contains regulated items, even a tiny part of the cargo. In that case, the shipper must identify, classify, pack, mark, label, and complete all documentation related to transporting DGD abroad. All conditions for transporting DGD must comply with national and international shipping regulations. Failure to do so could create hazardous conditions in transportation and result in administrative fines and penalties under applicable laws.

The very first step in exporting any commodity from the U.S. is to identify whether the shipment contains regulated materials, i.e., whether it includes aerosol sprays, airbags, ammunition, butane, car batteries, cologne, dry ice, fireworks, gasoline, jet fuel, lighters, lithium batteries, matches, nail polish, nail polish remover, nitrogen-refrigerated liquid, paint, perfume, solvents, some chemicals, etc.

Suppose you are unsure whether your commodity meets the criteria for shipping DGD, or which identification of HAZMAT and classification applies to your load. In that case, you can contact the U.S. Department of Transportation at 1-800-467-4922. You may also contact the merchandise manufacturer to identify whether your cargo contains regulated materials. If yes, gather the essential information to prepare your IMO.

Please note that exporting from the U.S. or transshipping DGD via the USA requires a 24-hour emergency-response telephone number.

Please remember that most ocean freight carriers will NOT accept hazardous materials other than Classes 3, 8, and 9. International transportation of DGD by sea other than Classes 3, 8, and 9 requires carriers with specialized equipment to transport hazardous materials of particular classes.

Segregation of Dangerous Goods. Hold a harmless letter when using sea freight from the U.S.

Many HAZMATs are incompatible with other substances. They may react with other hazardous materials, chemicals, or harmless substances like dust, air, or water. Hazardous materials can easily come into contact with incompatible substances through spillage or leakage and may liberate toxic gases or cause a fire or an explosion. International shipping of DGD incompatible with other substances is legally required to be stored and handled separately so that a loss of containment or interaction cannot cause a serious incident. Using a waterproof barrier or a suitable separation distance can achieve this.

Suppose an ocean freight carrier must segregate DGD before/during international shipping from the U.S. In that case, the shipper must furnish a HOLD HARMLESS LETTER on the consigner's letterhead.

HOLD HARMLESS LETTER must clearly state that:

Sea freight carriers and other parties involved in the segregation will NOT be responsible for any damages, cargo loss, etc., when the global ocean freight carrier/warehouse does the segregation.
Instructions on precisely what is to be segregated and
The exporter guarantees that the segregation charges will be paid to the carrier.

Please refer to this web page on our website for more information about transporting regulated items from the USA overseas using sea freight services.