Shipping Lithium Batteries, E-Scooters and Power Banks from China to the UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2026

TL;DR

• A new 30 percent rule. From 1 January 2026 lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment, and battery-powered vehicles with batteries over 100 Wh, must fly at no more than 30 percent state of charge. Loose batteries already had this limit.
• Vehicles have a new number. E-scooters, e-bikes, karts and electric dirt bikes with lithium-ion batteries are UN3556 by air and by sea. The old UN3171 now covers only wet and sodium batteries.
• Power banks are dangerous goods. They ship as UN3480 on cargo aircraft only, with a shipper’s declaration. Emirates SkyCargo accepts no UN3480 or UN3090 on any flight.
• Sea is not a free pass. Dangerous goods to the UAE east coast are accepted subject to capacity, and to Jeddah only for local consignees. Maersk charges an emergency rate of USD 3,800 per dangerous goods container to the UAE, Dammam, Jubail and Oman.
• Destination rules apply on top. The UAE needs a MoIAT conformity certificate for regulated products. Saudi Arabia needs SASO certificates, including an IECEE Recognition Certificate for chargers and power banks.

Which UN number applies

A vehicle cannot be declared as equipment with a battery, so an e-bike is never UN3481.

The 100 Wh line

Watt-hours are the nominal voltage multiplied by the ampere-hours. A battery of up to 100 Wh, with cells of up to 20 Wh, can use the lighter Section II or IB rules; above that the battery is fully regulated. Package limits are tight: 10 kg per package for loose batteries under Section IB, 35 kg under Section IA on cargo aircraft, and anything over 35 kg only with a special state approval.

Three cases from requests we receive:

• Electric drift kart with a LiFePO4 pack of 64 V and 30 Ah. That is 1,920 Wh. LiFePO4 is a lithium-ion chemistry, so the kart is UN3556 by air and by sea, and by air it must be at no more than 30 percent charge. Shipped separately, the battery becomes UN3480 Section IA: cargo aircraft only, no more than 35 kg per package, and not on Emirates.
• Paintless dent repair kit with a rechargeable LED lamp. UN3481: packing instruction 966 if the battery is packed beside the lamp, 967 if it is fitted in it.
• Power banks. UN3480, Section IB up to 100 Wh and IA above. Cargo aircraft only, with a shipper’s declaration signed by trained staff, which also certifies the 30 percent charge.

Documents

• UN38.3 test summary. The manufacturer must make it available for every cell and battery, vehicles included. A link or QR code is enough unless the airline or a state asks for a copy.
• Shipper’s declaration for dangerous goods for fully regulated shipments, and a compliance statement on the air waybill for Section II.
• China-side reports. Under China’s CCAR-276-R2 rules the shipper must, where necessary, prove the goods meet air transport conditions, with fines of up to CNY 50,000, or up to CNY 100,000 in serious cases. Chinese airlines such as China Southern ask for an identification report or the UN38.3 report number for each battery model, plus a 1.2 m drop test report where it applies. Batteries over 35 kg follow a new CAAC test method in force since 1 February 2026.
• Sea. Dangerous goods exported from China need a packaging certificate, and shipping lines check the class 9 declaration before they accept the booking.

A safety data sheet is not required by the air rules, but forwarders and factories often ask for one; it is easier to have it.

Airline and shipping line limits in 2026

Air. Emirates SkyCargo does not accept UN3480 or UN3090 on any flight, whatever the origin, and refuses used or refurbished batteries, equipment and vehicles. Qatar Airways Cargo, Etihad Cargo and Saudia Cargo hold IATA’s lithium battery handling certification, which shows the capability but not the acceptance of every battery type from China, so confirm per booking. Since loose batteries fly on cargo aircraft only, the choice of flights from South China is narrower than for general cargo.

Sea. Lines carry lithium batteries as class 9 dangerous goods, and Hapag-Lloyd stows them on deck only. Maersk’s Middle East update of 7 October 2026 accepts dangerous goods to Khor Fakkan subject to capacity, to Fujairah except classes 1, 5 and 7 with clearance in Jebel Ali, and to Jeddah for local consignees only. Its emergency freight rate is USD 3,800 per dangerous goods container to the UAE, Dammam, Jubail and Oman, plus USD 1,000 per container if the ship transits Hormuz.

Chinese export rules

On 9 October 2025 China announced dual-use export licences, from 8 November 2025, for lithium-ion cells and packs with an energy density of 300 Wh/kg or more, for some cathode and anode materials and for related equipment and technology. Customs declarations must state whether the goods are controlled items. A month later the measure was suspended until 10 November 2026, so check its status after that date and keep the cell datasheet with the order.

The export VAT rebate on batteries fell from 9 to 6 percent on 1 April 2026 and ends on 1 January 2027. Factories pay that difference, so expect some to reprice battery products for orders shipped next year.

Import rules in the UAE

• Conformity. Regulated products need a MoIAT conformity certificate based on a report from an accredited laboratory, with fees of AED 500 for review and AED 2,500 for issue. Self-balancing scooters need a test report to IEC 60335-2-114, and low-voltage electrical products need the Gulf G-Mark and compliance with UAE RoHS rules.
• Duty. 5 percent of the CIF value for most goods, plus 5 percent VAT.
• What sells. In Dubai riders need a free RTA permit, and Dubai Police impounded 13,657 e-scooters in 2026 by early September. Abu Dhabi limits approved e-scooters and e-bikes to 700 W, 20 km/h and 75 kg. Products above these limits are harder to sell, whatever the import rules.

Import rules in Saudi Arabia

• Scooters. SASO’s regulation for electric personal mobility devices covers the scooter with its battery and charger: a maximum of 25 km/h, front and rear lights, brakes, reflectors and a horn, with a Type 3 conformity certificate.
• Batteries. SASO’s battery regulation covers automotive batteries and portable batteries up to 1 kg, tested to standards that include IEC 62133-2 and IEC 62281.
• Chargers and power banks need a SASO IECEE Recognition Certificate, based on a CB test report and CB certificate.
• Every shipment also needs the SABER certificates described in our guide to shipping to Saudi Arabia.

Checklist before you order

1. Get the battery datasheet: chemistry, voltage, ampere-hours, watt-hours, weight and number of cells.
2. Ask the factory for the UN38.3 test summary and, for air from China, the identification report.
3. Ask the factory to ship at no more than 30 percent charge, and to label the cartons for the right UN number.
4. Choose the mode early: loose batteries and power banks fly on cargo aircraft only, and large vehicles often go by sea.
5. Arrange the destination certificate before shipping: MoIAT in the UAE, SASO and SABER in Saudi Arabia.

How Cargix handles battery cargo

Battery products are among the requests we see most often: tool kits with rechargeable lamps, electric karts with large LiFePO4 packs, e-bikes and power banks. We ask for the battery details and the UN38.3 report before we quote, because they decide whether the goods can fly, which service takes them and which route is open. Battery goods are priced in their own category on our air freight page; send the datasheet through the quote form and we confirm the options within one business day.