There are incredibly stringent restrictions on Lithium Ion Batteries, particularly when shipping overeas and even moreso when using options that travel via air.
Lithium Ion Batteries are typically safe and provide a good, compact, high density source of energy and are used in tons of both business and personal applications.
Many Lithium Ion Batteries are rechargeable making them very popular for personal electronic devices (PEDs) such as:
- Laptop Computers
- Smartwatches, Smartphones & Tablets
- Wireless Headphones
- Portable Gaming Devices (Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Playstation Portable, etc.)
- Game Controllers
- Power Banks
- Rechargeable Power Tools
Because there are so many devices that utilize Li-Ion power storage, it is important that people look after their devices to ensure device longevity and product safety. Typically, keeping the battery cool and avoid overcharging are the best way that the owner of a Li-Ion device can look after their devices.
If Lithium Ion battery powered devices are faulty or overheat, they can pose risks. Given one result of poorly manufactured or faulty Lithium Ion batteries is combustion, this poses serious safety risks when being shipped, again, even moreso on a plane.
As such, there are are a number of restrictions on the type and size of Lithium Ion batteries that can be shipped by consumers.
Standard Rules for Lithium Ion Battery Shipping
Important Updates from September 2024:
Japan Post has recently announced a new restriction on shipping lithium batteries (up to 2 built-in batteries) to certain countries where it was previously allowed. This restriction applies to all shipping methods, including EMS and Surface Mail, for all affected countries. More details can be found on their official website: https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/2024/0830_01.html.
Affected Countries include:
- Azerbaijan
- Armenia
- Angola
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ghana
- Greece
- Georgia
- Hungary
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Norway
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- United Kingdom
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Products that contain lithium-ion batteries are not allowed to be shipped to the above countries via Japan Post. (updated on November 15, 2024)
Please select an alternative courier service. If you need any assistance, feel free to contact our Customer Support.
Examples of batterries that cannot be shipped:
- Separate batteries not inserted or built in a device or packed/included with the device - see below for details. (updated on Aug 1st 2022)
- This includes any kind of portable charging devices or seperated standalone batteries.
Examples: spare battery packs for laptop computer/digital camera, power bank, charge case for Bluetooth earphones, e-cigarettes etc.
- Devices with the battery’s watt-hour rating over 100 Wh.
Examples: e-bicycles, chainsaws, portable refrigerators etc.
Important Requirements for shipping batteries built in a device:
- If shipping with EMS, SAL, Airmail, ECMS Express, or DHL, no more than 2 li-ion batteries per parcel is allowed. (Please see the above updates on Japan Post)
- If shipping with UPS or FedEx, no more than 5 kg of li-ion batteries per box is allowed.
- In some cases the warehouse will be limiting the box weight to 6 kg per box for parcels which include multiple lithium batteries (extra 1 kg is allowed to account for the weight of packaging materials). Number of boxes per parcel is not restricted.
- If shipping to Germany, Italy, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Laos, Mongolia:
- EMS, SAL, or Airmail cannot be used.
- At least two options out of UPS, FedEx, or DHL are available (please contact for more details)
- If shipping with surface mail, limitations are stricter than for Airmail. Li-ion batteries cannot be shipped by surface mail to a number of countries (United States, Australia, Singapore, and more), so please be sure to check if your country is in the “Surface mail” column on page 3 of the following list before placing an item with li-ion battery to a surface parcel.
- Li-ion batteries cannot be shipped with ZenExpress.
Updates to Lithium Ion Battery Shipping Rules
August 1st 2022 (08.01.2022) - The rule for shipping items containing lithium batteries has been changed.
Until now, lithium batteries could not be shipped, unless they were attached to or built into a piece of equipment or device (a smartphone for example).
Now it is possible to ship by FedEx or UPS if the ‘battery is included with the item’.
Please refer to the photo for the definition of ‘battery included with the item’.
It refers to the state in which the batteries are not inside the item, but are included in the same product.
NOTE: Even if it does not come packaged exactly as above, if it sold as part of the same product, it is considered to be 'included'.
Other rules, such as number of batteries and size of batteries still apply.
What can I buy now that I couldn't before the most recent change?
There are a number of items, particularly with modular add-ons or where the battery was cross-compatibile with other products, that were not allowed to be shipped prior to the change.
Some examples include, but are not limited to:
- Power tools (such as Makita Tool Kits)
- Controllers that come with additional battery packs
- Science Kits that require assembly and contain batteries
- Backup Laptop batteries sold with the laptop
As mentioned before, other Lithium Ion Battery shippping rules still apply.
A good way to think about this is to decide whether a product that does not have a built-in battery, still requires the battery to use the product. If so, it is highly likely that the product and battery can be bought together as a set.
If the products are sold separately, you can not purchase the battery on its own. Please double check to make sure the li-ion battery you need is included with the product you would like to purchase.
I think this item can be shipped but ZenMarket's system says it may be prohibited. Can I still buy it?
Due to the restrictions on Lithium Ion batteries you may encounter the message in the image below.
This is an automated message on our system. When it comes to Lithium Ion batteries, we want to check that the product is okay for shipping to prevent you from running into trouble with customs after you have already purchased it.
If you think the item will be safe for international shipping in accordance with the rules outlined in this guide, feel free to add the item to your cart - our customer support will then verify the item for you.
Once support has verified the item for you, you can proceed with your ZenMarket order as normal.
IMPORTANT: For Yahoo Auctions product listings, as bid items does not go through our system, you need to check whether the item is eligible for shipping to your destination before you click "Unblock Request".
Also Read: HOW TO USE ZENMARKET
If the item is deemed ineligible, you will not be able to purchase it at this point in time. On the brightside though, you save time and money on items that would otherwise get stuck in customs, if they even end up getting shipped at all.
If there is an item you would like, but are unsure if it is eligible, please feel free to check with our support prior to purchasing.
I bought a battery item that cannot be shipped, what should I do?
Unfortunately, if you have purchased a battery item that cannot be shipped, the only option is to dispose of the item. The disposal fee starts from 300 yen per battery to 3200 yen per unit, depending on the type.
If you want to dispose of an item or its part, an additional disposal fee of 300 JPY per 1kg and 1000 yen per 15 minutes of additional work may apply.
Please contact our Customer Support for disposal options.
