UN 38.3 Battery Transport Certification
1 resources tagged with "Un 38.3"
UN 38.3 is the mandatory transport test standard for lithium batteries — every cell or pack shipped by air, sea, or road must pass its eight tests (T1–T8), covering altitude, thermal cycling, vibration, shock, and short circuit. Chinese factories quote it as a line item, but a valid test report must come from an accredited lab and match the exact cell model in your product, not a similar one.
When you source any product with a lithium battery from China — a wearable, a power bank, an IoT sensor — the freight forwarder will ask for the UN 38.3 test report before accepting the shipment. Missing or mismatched reports are the single most common reason electronics shipments get held at the airport. We verify the report's lab accreditation and cell model against your actual BOM before booking freight.
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FAQ
Who issues a UN 38.3 test report in China?
An accredited third-party lab (e.g. CNAS-accredited labs in Shenzhen or Guangzhou), not the factory itself. A report on factory letterhead with no lab accreditation number is a red flag. Testing a single cell model costs roughly $1,500–3,000 and takes 2–4 weeks.
Does UN 38.3 expire?
The test itself does not expire, but as of 2020 a UN 38.3 Test Summary document is required and must be reissued whenever the cell design, chemistry, or mass changes. If your supplier switches cell vendors mid-production, the old report no longer applies.
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