What is new in the IATA DGR 68th edition (2027)

DGAssistant supports the 68th edition from 1 January 2027

From that day, the Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods, the checklist and the package marking prepared by DGAssistant follow the 68th edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.

The 68th edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) applies from 1 January 2027, and DGAssistant supports it from that same day. It brings into air transport the 2027–2028 edition of the ICAO Technical Instructions together with the changes agreed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Board. For shippers, the most visible changes concern batteries: sodium ion and hybrid batteries now appear throughout the packing instructions, the battery mark loses its telephone number and four UN numbers join the list. Passengers and crew face stricter limits on power banks.

The edition at a glance

Topic	What changes	Reference
List of dangerous goods	UN 3561, UN 3562, UN 3563 and UN 3564 are added	4.2
Batteries	Sodium ion and hybrid batteries in the packing instructions	3.9, 4.4 and Section 5
Battery mark	The version with a telephone number is phased out	Section 7
Excepted quantities	Only for substances, not for articles	2.6.2.2
Explosives	Segregation according to the compatibility group	Section 9
Passengers and crew	No more than two power banks, none above 100 Wh	2.3

New and amended entries

Two entries are added for corrosive chlorophenols: UN 3561 Chlorophenols, corrosive, toxic, solid, n.o.s. and UN 3562 Chlorophenols, corrosive, solid, n.o.s. The list also gains UN 3563, lithium metal batteries installed in a cargo transport unit, and UN 3564, sodium ion batteries installed in a cargo transport unit. Both come from the UN Model Regulations and keep the list aligned with sea and road transport but, like UN 3536, they are forbidden by air.

The proper shipping name for fluoroanilines is withdrawn and its variants refer to other entries. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines receive an entry that points to the applicable article entry and to special provision A236. The new special provision A808 identifies the UN numbers and proper shipping names that are being withdrawn: they remain in the list for two years, which gives shippers time to update their product data.

Batteries

Sodium ion batteries are now named in the packing instructions for batteries, and the provisions on prototype batteries have been rewritten. Hybrid batteries, which combine lithium ion and sodium ion cells, receive their own classification criterion (3.9.2.6.1) and special provision A235, which assigns them to the lithium ion battery entries. Other changes:

• In Section II of packing instructions 967, 970 and 978, button cells installed in the equipment do not count towards the limit of four cells or two batteries.
• The exception for data loggers extends to certain sodium ion batteries.
• Special provisions A107, A185, A213, A225 and A228 add references to lithium and sodium ion batteries, and A214 explains how to distinguish a battery-powered vehicle from battery-powered equipment.
• Special provisions A26 and A103 cover heating machines as well as refrigerating machines.

Marks and labels

The battery mark with a space for a telephone number is phased out. The current mark should be used, although a package that still bears the previous one should not be rejected for that reason alone. When a package requires the battery mark and hazard labels other than the Class 9 lithium battery label, the mark is placed on the same side as those labels.

The note on overpacks has been clarified with an example: the marks of the packages inside do not all have to be repeated, because the marking of the overpack serves to show the total quantity of dangerous goods it contains.

Classification, packing and documents

• Excepted quantities apply only to substances; articles cannot be shipped under these provisions (2.6.2.2).
• Aerosols receive a subsidiary hazard, or are forbidden, depending on the classification of their contents (3.2.5.2.5 and 3.2.5.2.6).
• For infectious substances, guidance from health authorities may help to choose quickly between UN 3373 and UN 2814 or UN 2900 when a new health emergency arises.
• Samples of certain organic substances may be shipped under the entries for self-reactive substances type C (3.11.4).
• Packing instructions 130, 200, 220, 222, 378, 459, 497, 570, 603, 650, 950, 951, 952, 955, 962, Y963, 964 to 970, 972, 975 and 978 are amended, mostly to include sodium ion batteries.
• In the Shipper's Declaration, step 6 of the second sequence of the description (8.1.6.9.2) is reorganised so that it follows a more logical order.
• Section 9 changes the segregation of explosives according to their compatibility group.

State and operator variations

Seventeen States have new or significantly amended variations, among them New Caledonia and Norfolk Island. The codes of the variations of Argentina, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Ukraine now follow the ISO country code, while their numbering stays the same. Many operator variations have been rewritten in a uniform format, those that only repeated the Regulations have been deleted, and references to company material (COMAT) are being removed.

Passengers and crew

Power banks containing lithium ion batteries above 100 Wh are forbidden for passengers and crew, and each person may carry no more than two power banks. The allowance of spare batteries falls from 20 to 18; the operator may permit more spare batteries, but not more power banks. Table 2.3.A is divided into three: 2.3.A lists the items that require the approval of the operator, 2.3.B those that do not, and 2.3.C, which is expected to disappear in the 70th edition, those that are not permitted. Mobility aids with batteries above 300 Wh carry additional requirements for operators.

What to review before 1 January 2027

• Products affected by the new chlorophenol entries or by the withdrawal of fluoroanilines.
• Battery shipments: sodium ion and hybrid batteries, button cells in Section II and the version and position of the battery mark.
• Overpacks, excepted quantities and aerosols.
• The variations of the States and operators involved in your shipments.

What changes in DGAssistant

From 1 January 2027 DGAssistant applies the 68th edition: the list of dangerous goods, the special provisions, the packing instructions and the documents it prepares follow the new edition. If you keep predefined products, review those affected by the new or amended entries and special provisions described above. The IATA Shipper's Declaration page shows how DGAssistant prepares these documents.

Sources: IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, 68th edition (2027), list of significant changes; ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, 2027–2028 edition.