Dangerous goods may be shipped in Excepted Quantities¹⁰⁹ which allows exemptions from many of the IMDG Code rules for very small packages (less than 30 grams or 30 mLs per inner packaging).

Dangerous goods of medium and low hazard in Packing Groups II and III may be shipped as Excepted Quantities but not high hazard goods of Packing Group I. This is intended to simplify transport of goods traditionally shipped in very small packages such as retail perfumes, cosmetics, personal care items and medicines without application of many of the normal IMDG Code requirements.

Only the following provisions of the IMDG Code apply regarding goods in Excepted Quantities:

• Training
• Classification including Packing Group criteria
• Packagings must meet the general packaging standard of IMDG Part 4, but packagings do not need to be UN tested
• The normal documentation requirements of IMDG 5.4  

The segregation provisions of the IMDG Code do not apply to goods in Excepted Quantities.

An alphanumeric code in Column 7b of the Dangerous Goods List indicates whether a substance may be shipped as Excepted Quantities. “E0” shown in Column 7b indicates that goods are not permitted to be shipped as Excepted Quantities.

However, there are stipulations for packaging. There must be inners of restricted size packed into outers with intermediate cushioning material capable of absorbing any liquid spillage from the inner packaging, and the complete package as prepared for transport must pass the drop and stack tests described in IMDG 3.5.3.

Consignments of dangerous goods in Excepted Quantities must be documented in the normal way with the words “Dangerous goods in Excepted Quantities” added.

Goods indicated as E1, E2, E3, E4 or E5 in Column 7b of the Dangerous Goods List may be shipped as Excepted Quantities provided the packaging thresholds in the following table are not exceeded:

There are further exemptions from IMDG Code rules for some categories of dangerous goods in Excepted Quantities if the packages contain 1 gram or 1 mL or less of product¹¹⁰.

The number of packages in a single cargo transport unit containing dangerous goods in Excepted Quantities shall not exceed 1000 packages.

-

¹⁰⁹ IMDG Code, 2022 Edition Amendment 41-22, Chapter 3.5

¹¹⁰ IMDG Code, 2022 Edition Amendment 41-22, Section 3.5.1.4

Packages must display the Excepted Quantities mark as shown, with the Class number. If the name of the consignor or consignee is not shown on the package, one of the other must be shown on the mark. No marking is required for the cargo transport unit.